


Repeat After Me

by SlytherinGoddess214



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Comedy, Complete, F/M, Groundhog Day, Mystery, Potions Accident, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 07:55:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 97,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21032843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinGoddess214/pseuds/SlytherinGoddess214
Summary: After a mishap with Hermione’s potion during an 8th year exam, Draco is determined to just forget about it and move on; however, it seems the Universe has other plans. Cast into a seamlessly endless time-loop, Draco now has to relive the same day over and over again until he can learn…to get it right.





	1. Details

**Author's Note:**

> I finally made an account on this site! I am on FF, AFF, and Wattpad as well. Same username but with a -. Once my other stories are edited I will add them here as well but for now only 2 will be posted. Enjoy :) 
> 
> *So I just realized that none of the italic for Draco's thoughts appear...If anyone knows how to fix this or if it can be fixed please let me know. Sorry about that.*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I can only italicize the quote at the beginning. If anyone knows how to help me italicize the thoughts Draco has please let me know. I don't understand why it won't accept the emphasis on them, but it will the quote...Sorry still learning this site

_“Acceptance: The one word that has so much bearing on our hearts. But, it’s up to you to decide. Do you give up, or do you pick up your feet and walk toward the unknown? After all, the unexpected…is what changes our lives.”_

_-Meredith Grey___

_ _

_ _Chapter 1- Details_ _

_ _Friday October 29th, 1999 07:16am_ _

_ _Eighth year, created for those whose studies were neglected due to the war and the one year Draco Malfoy dreaded returning to. He would have rather stayed at home, helping his mother fix up the Manor after Voldemort’s downfall, than be back in the school that he no longer felt accepted in. The Battle of Hogwarts last year forced everyone to change, grow up even; the one thing it didn’t do though, was change anyone’s opinions of him or his house. Only twelve students, including him-self, came back for the repeated year and of the other eleven, only three were his actual friends._ _

_ _Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw that wanted nothing to do with Draco, two no name Hufflepuff’s that basically ignored him as well, which was unusual for their house since they were known to like everyone. Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley also returned but continued to act weary of him and his group of friends yet they were at least trying to be civil, and then there was Hermione Granger, the know-it-all bookworm Draco tormented the most, strangely tolerating him more than the rest._ _

_ _It still surprised him that she even so much as looked in his direction after the shit he put her through, but Draco knew it was only because they all shared a single common room which forced them to be closer to each other than they liked. However, Hermione almost seemed to go out of her way to strike up a conversation with him; he just wasn’t the one to budge and accept her. It also didn’t help that he was partnered with her in potions class._ _

_ _Despite the inconvenient bunking situation, everyone was excited for the day ahead as the Halloween Ball was scheduled after dinner in the Great Hall. It was the one time Draco could pretend to be someone else and no one would know it was him. But as he lay in his bed in the early hours of the morning staring up at the ceiling, he thought strongly about just skipping the ball this year. He didn’t have a costume and it is not like anyone would care that he didn’t go…well anyone but Pansy._ _

_ _Pansy Parkinson was not known for hearing, let alone accepting, the word no. She always got what she wanted precisely when she wanted and there was no way she would allow him to ditch the ball to stay hidden in his room all night. He was happy she no longer pursued him in the boyfriend department and was now blissfully dating Blaise Zabini, but she still tried to force him to do things he didn’t want. Sometimes he appreciated it but other times he just wanted to ring her neck._ _

_ _Theodore Nott was also one to try and persuade him to go out with the group, however since the war Draco didn’t really want to do much in the way of fun anymore. He constantly felt the weight of guilt pressing on him and there was absolutely no way anyone could help him lift it. Although his friends tried their best to help him out of his depression, the only thing he knew would work was gaining the forgiveness from the muggle-born girl he watched thrash in pain on his Drawing Room floor._ _

_ _That day at the Manor constantly plagued his mind and he cursed himself each and every day for not being able to do anything to help her. She was right there, lying on the cold floor in front of him getting carved up by his Aunt for merely existing, and he did nothing to stop it. He never said a word, never tried to convince Bellatrix that Hermione didn’t know anything, never ran to help her…nothing. Draco had seen people get tortured before and it always made his stomach churn, but something about hearing Hermione’s screams as his psychotic Aunt tortured her for hours, created an anguishing sickness inside of him._ _

_ _But there was no way he could apologize to her now. She would never accept that he had it in him to change, nor would she ever see him as anything other than the ruthless bully he had always been. Yet she still tried to talk to him, and he had no idea why. Maybe it was out of pity, maybe it was to try and move forward, or maybe it was because she wanted to get close enough to him to try and figure out why he did nothing. Either way, he didn’t want anything to do with her or the past she represented; also concluding to the fact that if he apologized she would try to talk to him more and there was no way anyone would let him would live down being her friend._ _

_ _A loud banging on Draco’s bedroom door startled him upright, shaking away the thoughts from his head._ _

_ _“Draco!” Theo bellowed from the other side of the wooded entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!”_ _

_ _“Yeah, I’m coming! Calm yourself!” Draco shouted back as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and wiped his face with his hands._ _

_ _“Well hurry up! I’m tired of hearing her nag about you being so slow!”_ _

_ _Draco waved a hand at the door in front of his green queen size bed and stood up while letting out a deep sigh. Pulling out his robes from his closet five feet away, he finished dressing himself before catching his appearance in the mirror. He waved his wand and murmured ‘scourgify’ to freshen up for the day before walking out of the room and onto the hall balcony._ _

_ _The hallway connected twelve bedrooms on an upper level U-shape square balcony. Upon each door was the name of a returning eighth year student inscribed upon a gold plaque. Two large staircases rested on either end of the hallway to the North, leading down to a single grand stairwell which led into the main common room decorated with banners from each house. Two oversized leather sectionals sat facing each other in the center of the room while a great marble fireplace perched on the East and West walls, ensconced by comfortable armchairs._ _

_ _The common room was larger than any of the four houses and far more comfortable; Draco’s only complaint about his living quarters was being roomed next door to the Gryffindor Golden Girl. Fortunately for him, his room was on the end in front of the stairs on the West side, so he only had one neighbor to deal with and Hermione was relatively undisruptive in the late hours…unlike her friends._ _

_ _“Draco!” Pansy called out in glee as she stood up from the couch facing the East fireplace “Took you long enough; we were beginning to think you died up there.”_ _

_ _“If it were up to me I would have just stayed in my room” He mumbled under his breath._ _

_ _Just as he was about to take a step down the staircase, Hermione hurried out of her room and almost crashed right into him._ _

_ _“Watch where you’re going Mu-Granger” Draco sneered._ _

_ _Hermione’s face fell as she looked up at him, but she quickly lowered her head into her armful of books and pushed passed him; ramming his shoulder in the process. Shaking off the interaction, he continued walking down the stairs towards his friends before plopping himself onto the couch facing away from the east wall, and kicked his feet up on the large square coffee table._ _

_ _“Oh enough with the self-loathing” Pansy stated as she cuddled up next to Blaise on the couch to the right of Draco “It’s two days until Halloween and tonight is the Ball. Would it kill you to at least act happier?”_ _

_ _“It just might” Ron chimed in as he, Lavender, and Harry took seats in the corner away from the Slytherin’s._ _

_ _Draco rolled his eyes as the group once again spoke about him like he wasn’t even there._ _

_ _'Here we go again' he thought to himself._ _

_ _“Bullocks” Theo stated in disgust._ _

_ _“Oh please,” Ron continued “we have been here almost two months trying to ‘get along’ and he has been nothing but a sourpuss the whole time.”_ _

_ _“It’s true” Harry added quietly “he doesn’t really speak to anyone.”_ _

_ _“That’s because he has been through a lot” claimed Pansy in a huff._ _

_ _‘I…am right here…’_ _

_ _“We have all been through a lot” Ron stated as he leaned back and crossed his arms._ _

_ _“That shouldn’t excuse him from trying to at least be civil with us.” Lavender asserted with an eye roll as she held Ron’s hand lovingly. “We all tolerate you lot.”_ _

_ _“Have you ever thought that it is us who tolerates you, Brown?” Blaise interjected with poise._ _

_ _‘Well said Blaise’ Draco smirked slightly._ _

_ _“We all tolerate each other” A male Hufflepuff claimed proudly as he stood next to his girlfriend in front of the West fireplace, holding a book in his hand “Why can’t we all just get along? Literally minutes before breakfast and you all are already debating who tolerates who. Really? Is there nothing else you lot can talk about?”_ _

_ _‘Eh, he’s gotta point’_ _

_ _“I’m sorry, who are you two again?” Pansy questioned with a raised brow and pointed finger off to the side._ _

_ _The Hufflepuff’s head tilted to the side while his brow furrowed in puzzlement._ _

_ _“Bradley…I’m Bradley Stoll…and this is Sadie Cornwell…We have only been going to school with you since first year Pansy.”_ _

_ _‘Oh, so that’s their names!’_ _

_ _“Huh” Pansy breathed out with her mouth partly open and her head tilted back slightly._ _

_ _“Well it would be nice if he would at least acknowledge that we exist in the same room as him” Lavender continued. “After all, we are living together for the next eight months.”_ _

_ _“That’ll never happen” Ron added._ _

_ _‘That’s one thing the Weasel is actually right about’_ _

_ _“Here’s an idea, how about you stop speaking about Malfoy like he’s not sitting right there listening to everything you are saying about him behind his back…in front of his face.” Hermione declared while sitting at a desk near the West fireplace; never once looking up from the parchment she was writing on._ _

_ _The room went quite in embarrassment as Draco raised his eyes to the girl who defended him for no reason and he strongly wondered why she even bothered._ _

_ _‘What the hell? This isn’t the Granger he knew.’ he thought as he arched a single brow._ _

_ _“We have Potions today so why don’t we stop complaining about Malfoy being a somber ponce and instead focus on passing this month’s exam?” she continued while finally lifting her head and turning to face the group. “We have one class today, thanks to the ball; I think your time would be better suited studying for it instead of slumming it on the couch complaining about who talks to who.”_ _

_ _‘There’s the bookworm we all know’_ _

_ _“Alright, geez Mione, we get it…We’ll stop.” Ron claimed softly._ _

_ _Hermione let out an irritable scoff before packing up her books and making her way out the portrait door._ _

_ _“What’s gotten into her knickers?” Ron asked stretching an arm out behind his girlfriend._ _

_ _“Apparently nothing” Lavender giggled into his chest._ _

_ _“Would you quit it, Lavender” Harry groaned in frustration as he stood up, making everyone look at him perplexed “Merlin, just…enough with the virgin jokes. Every day it’s the same thing with you…just stop” he stated before storming out of the room to follow Hermione._ _

_ _“Well…that was unexpected.” Theo claimed patting his thighs before he too stood up “I think I’ll grab my books before heading down to breakfast.”_ _

_ _“What did we miss?” Terry asked pleasantly as he and Neville walked down the stairs playfully shoving each other._ _

_ _Draco rolled his eyes and stood up quickly; no longer wanting to be a part of the groups’ tactless conversation and made his way to the door._ _

_ _“If one more of you lot slam me closed again, I swear you will never hear the end of it!” the thin prairie woman in the portrait guarding the entrance to the common room, claimed in a sharp tone while tapping her foot and shaking a finger in annoyance._ _

_ _Letting out a sigh, Draco walked away with his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. He made it about half way to the Great Hall before he heard his name being shouted behind him._ _

_ _“Wait up!” Theo called out, making Draco groan before turning around to greet his friend running to catch up to him. “What is with you today?” he asked as he fell into step with Draco. “You seem especially off this morning.”_ _

_ _“Nothing” Draco replied in a huff._ _

_ _“Hey,” Theo grabbed his arm stopping Draco and turned him to face him “it doesn’t seem like nothing. It’s just me now, you can tell me.”_ _

_ _“It is nothing Theo, just leave it alone.”_ _

_ _Draco shrugged his friend’s hand off him and turned to continue walking to breakfast when Ron pushed passed him in a hurry. The red-head seemed to be in such a rush to get food that he tripped over his own shoes and fell, causing his school bag to fly out of his hand as he crashed to the floor._ _

_ _Pansy and Blaise walked up behind Draco, laughing and giggling at the embarrassment the Gryffindor held before continuing on their way while Draco shook his head and followed suit. On the way he witnessed Ginny Weasley yelling at some underclassmen for something he refused to pay attention to, while a Ravenclaw couple fought just a few feet away. Continuing his trek with Theo at his side, he turned to enter the hall that led to the Dining area when the girl in the argument slapped the boy hard across the face, making Draco wince at the resounding sound._ _

_ _“Ooo, did you see that?” Theo asked as he too winced at the hit; but when Draco paid him no mind, he shrugged his shoulders and pursued onwards._ _

_ _Turning the corner as he ignored the remaining students in the hall, Draco couldn’t help but notice a golden ball zoom passed his head. Being a previous Seeker, he knew just what the ball was and found it odd that it was flying freely around the school. Before he had time to dwell on it however, Harry Potter jumped in the air and caught the snitch quickly. The boy shook his head in disappointment as he scanned the hall for the culprit to no avail. Realizing he couldn’t find who was responsible for releasing the ball in the chaos of the crowd, Harry pocketed the snitch and entered the Great Hall._ _

_ _Letting off another sigh, Draco entered the room and walked to the Slytherin table on the far left wall. Taking his seat in front of the fireplace with Theo plopping himself next to him, they waited for the rest of their friends to arrive._ _

_ _As time passed by, the rest of the school filled into the room and took their seats. McGonagall began her speech and reminded them all about the Ball that night and how the upperclassmen were free from all afternoon classes so they could prepare properly. Draco ignored half of what she spoke and decided to instead play with the snake emblem he had carved into the table during third year until food was served._ _

_ _“Aren’t you going to eat?” Pansy asked him as he picked at his food uninterested._ _

_ _“Let him be, Pans” Blaise interfered “He seems extra moody today.”_ _

_ _“I’m not moody!” he defended sharply, looking up at his two friends sitting across from him._ _

_ _“See” Blaise held out his hand “moody.”_ _

_ _“Give it a rest Blaise; I’m having a bad day.”_ _

_ _“By waking up?” he retorted. “All you ever do is stay in your room and keep to yourself. What could possibly have happened that would put you in such a bad mood?”_ _

_ _“Just leave it be Blaise. I don’t want to talk about it, alright? Just-”_ _

_ _“ENOUGH LAVENDER!”_ _

_ _Everyone in the hall went quiet as they looked over at Hermione standing at the Gryffindor table with a face so red, she looked like she was about to explode._ _

_ _“Ugh! Just leave me alone!” she shouted in anger before she collected her things and stormed off with a worried Ginny following swiftly behind her._ _

_ _Pansy turned back around, clicked her tongue, and began picking at her eggs._ _

_ _“Well…I guess we all can assume what that was about.” she smirked before taking a bite of the food in front of her._ _

_ _“What is so wrong about being a virgin?” Draco questioned in annoyance. “We all were at some point! Why the bloody hell does someone have to constantly crack a joke at her expense?”_ _

_ _“I didn’t say anything was wrong with it.” Pansy claimed in surprise, but Draco ignored her and stabbed at a piece of sausage on his plate._ _

_ _He was over the petty conversations and drama happening around him and just once wanted to have one day where he didn’t have to talk to anyone._ _

_ _“Draco, what the bloody hell has gotten into you today?” Theo asked as everyone at the table looked at him in shock. “And since when did you start defending Granger? I mean I know we are all trying to set aside our differences but…Granger?”_ _

_ _Not wanting to try and answer a question he himself couldn’t explain, Draco had finally had enough and quickly stood up to leave._ _

_ _“Hey! Where are you going?” Pansy shouted after him, but he waved a hand at his friends’ cries for him to return and stormed off._ _

_ _Angrily reciting the password to enter the eighth year common room, Draco started to walk through the small foyer when he heard two women talking in the distance, but in that moment, he could care less about Hermione and Ginny gossiping on the couch. Instead of giving them privacy to work out their girl problems, he pressed forward, interrupting the conversation, and ran up the stairs to his room._ _

_ _Over the hour of free time before potions, Draco lay in his bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking about one thing and one thing only. The same thing that had haunted him for well over a year and no matter what he did, it just wouldn’t go away. But as he contemplated his choices in life he heard a soft knock at his door._ _

_ _Letting out a sharp exhale, he covered his face with his arm and let out a groan._ _

_ _“Go away, Theo!”_ _

_ _“Malfoy?” a calm soft voice spoke “It’s Hermione…I-”_ _

_ _Surprised she was knocking on his door, he sat up straight quickly and stared at the wooden barrier, unsure if he wanted to speak to her._ _

_ _“Go away Granger” he cut her off crudely “I don’t want to talk to you.”_ _

_ _“I-I just wanted to let you know that Potions is starting shortly, in-in case you were still sleeping.”_ _

_ _“I wasn’t sleeping.”_ _

_ _‘Why am I telling her like she cares?’_ _

_ _“Oh, o-okay…Well…I guess I’ll see you in class then.”_ _

_ _“Yeah, whatever”_ _

_ _XX_ _

_ _12:02pm_ _

_ _Dropping his shoulders, Draco walked into Potions class with a dreary gaze and took his seat three rows up from the back of the room. Next to him, closest to the aisle, Hermione sat with all of her books and notecards laid out in a neat well-kept order; typical of her perfect nature as she studied the board up front._ _

_ _Scanning the room Draco took note of the people around so he could later avoid anyone speaking to him while collecting ingredients. Directly in front of him sat Ron and Harry with Ginny and Lavender sitting a row up from them. Behind him sat Blaise and Theo with the two Hufflepuff’s, he already forgot the names of again, bringing up the rear. Luna and Neville placed themselves on the other side of the room directly across from him and Hermione, with Pansy and Terry in the back of them._ _

_ _The rest of the class room was filled with seventh years Draco didn’t know or even care to know really but he was relatively surprised anyone of them chose to return. Letting out sigh while he reclined in his chair, Professor Slughorn entered the room._ _

_ _“Good Afternoon class” he chirped happily._ _

_ _“Afternoon Professor” a few kids chimed in unison, but Draco just tapped his fingers on the desk and tilted his head back in annoyance._ _

_ _“Enthusiastic bunch aren’t you?” Slughorn stated with a sarcastic chuckle “Alright then…Lets dive right in.” he smiled up at everyone “Today is your monthly exam; a test to determine your skill set so far, ability to read and understand recipes, and an analysis of your ingredient recognition. You will be judged on your work alone today so I strongly urge each of you to study the board as carefully as possible; you will not have a partner to do it for you.”_ _

_ _Hermione raised her hand quickly into the air making Draco chuckle slightly in his seat._ _

_ _“Always the know-it-all”_ _

_ _“Yes, Miss. Granger?”_ _

_ _“What potion are we making today, Professor?”_ _

_ _“Ah, yes” Slughorn smiled proudly “That my dear, will be something of my own creation; took me a few years to perfect it. I call it Desiderium Intra, The Desire Within, also known as a Wishing Potion.”_ _

_ _“Wishing potion, sir?” Harry questioned interestingly._ _

_ _“Yes my boy! First of its kind. It will not grant you a wish but it will show you what your wish would look like if it came true. It contains ingredients no one originally knew the use for and the first potion to require incantations. Now-”_ _

_ _“Professor?” Hermione rose her hand once again “What is the end result supposed to look like?”_ _

_ _Slughorn clapped his hands together and moved to stand in front of the desk._ _

_ _“That is a very good question, Miss. Granger…A white mist will appear if you have correctly composed your ingredients. At the time of the mist, you will think of a wish and say ‘desiderio tuo revelare’; which translates to ‘reveal thy desire’. You and, and only you, will then see what you long for. Only for a moment though- then it must be extinguished with a different spell. This is the most important step; when the occasion arises and the spell is not spoken correctly or clearly, the results can be…catastrophic.”_ _

_ _‘Wonderful’_ _

_ _“I will only say this once, so pay attention and repeat after me…Repetit Forma.”_ _

_ _The class practiced the chants to perfection before they studied the board attentively. As everyone brought out their cauldrons and stood up to collect their ingredients, Draco took extra time to look at the recipe so he could avoid speaking to anyone. _ _

_ _‘Sounds easy enough’_ _

_ _After five minutes of reading and rereading everything, he finally got up and walked over to the closet to collect everything, but on his way in, he spotted Neville reaching for a vial of Goblin Blood on the top shelf. As the dolt however grabbed the small bottle just out of his reach, the vile fell from the shelf and crashed to the floor; spilling its contents everywhere._ _

_ _Holding back a laugh while stepping out of the way, Draco shook his head and continued to gather his ingredients before walking back to his seat. An hour and a half later, Draco by some miracle, averted having any type of interaction with the curly-haired brunette next to him. Unfortunately for him though, as soon as he pricked his finger to add the drop of blood the recipe called for, Hermione decided to ruin it by knocking her elbow into her Nightshade, spilling it all over the table._ _

_ _“Salazar Granger! Watch what you’re doing!”_ _

_ _“I didn’t do it on purpose!” she snapped back as she bent down to clean up the mess._ _

_ _“You sure? Because it sure looked like you did! Trying to sabotage the exam cause it’s the one subject you suck at?” he crudely smirked._ _

_ _“You are delusional” she scoffed “You’re just jealous I outrank you in everything else!”_ _

_ _“Jealous?” he laughed “In your dreams Granger! Seems like you’re the one who’s jealous I top you in this class!”_ _

_ _“I-”_ _

_ _“Mr. Malfoy, Miss. Granger…” Professor Slughorn interrupted “Is there a problem?”_ _

_ _“No Professor” the pair stated in unison as Hermione stood up quickly and they both glanced at the teacher in shame._ _

_ _“Good, then you should have no problem completing the rest of the exam in silence. Hm?”_ _

_ _“No sir”_ _

_ _The duo brought out their wands slowly as Slughorn went back to grading papers and spoke the charm needed to activate the draught. As Draco thought of a mediocre wish, a puff of white mist shot out of his caldron showing him Malfoy Manor in all its glory._ _

_ _“No! No, no, no, no, no!”_ _

_ _Draco looked over at Hermione seemingly in distress as the smoke billowing out of her cauldron went black; and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t help but chuckle aloud. She snapped her head to him with a scowl on her face. Her jaw clenched tightly and he knew right then, he made a mistake, but he wasn’t about to let her know that. _ _

_ _“Think this is funny, do you?”_ _

_ _“As a matter of fact I do” he jeered before looking back to his potion._ _

_ _“Well it’s not!” she cried out as her lips fell to a frown._ _

_ _Something inside Draco broke causing him to suddenly feel bad for the straight O girl who just failed her exam, and for some odd reason he wished…he could somehow fix it for her. He wished he could fix everything…for her. Shaking the thought from his head, he lifted his wand back up to say the counter spell to deactivate his potion._ _

_ _“Repeti-”_ _

_ _“What did you do to my potion Malfoy?” Hermione cried out while slamming her hand on the table and twisted her body to face him._ _

_ _“What?” he turned to her in shock “What are you talking about? I didn’t touch your stupid potion!”_ _

_ _“Then why is the smoke black?”_ _

_ _“I don’t know! But it wasn’t because of m-”_ _

_ _“Miss. Granger, Mr. Malfoy!” Slughorn stood up in anger “I get that pairing you two together in the beginning of the year was arbitrary at best, and I had high hopes since you have somewhat been cordial with one another…but to consistently interrupt an exam is unacceptable!”_ _

_ _“Malfoy did something to Hermione’s potion!” Ron shouted out._ _

_ _ “Wha-I didn’t touch her bloody potion!” he retorted as he held up his hands in defense._ _

_ _‘Un-fucking-believable’_ _

_ _“Draco?” he heard Theo whisper behind him “What did you do?”_ _

_ _“I-I didn’t do anything! Why the hell am I being blamed for this?”_ _

_ _“Because you are always trying to find a way to ruin thi-” Ron continued, but was cut off by a vociferous voice._ _

_ _“ENOUGH!” Slughorn shouted, causing everyone to go silent in alarm._ _

_ _The professor walked up to the table and looked at Hermione’s caldron as she stared wide eyed with the rest of the class. Not once in the years that they have known Horace Slughorn, has he ever yelled at anyone. He had always been a mellow, jaunty person and Draco pondered whether the war did more damage to the man…then anyone thought._ _

_ _“Miss. Granger,” he began after studying her area of the table for a moment “it seems you have added Fluxweed powder...”_ _

_ _“Fluxweed?” she questioned confused “T-that’s impossible. The recipe didn’t call for it.”_ _

_ _“No” Slughorn stated more calmly “no it did not, however there are traces of it around your cauldron here and on your station as well.”_ _

_ _“I swear I didn’t use-”_ _

_ _“He must have added it when she wasn’t looking!” Ron accusingly pointed at Draco._ _

_ _‘What the actual fuck!’_ _

_ _“I-DIDN’T TOUCH-HER FUCKING POTION!” Draco screamed as he slammed his palm down._ _

_ _Everyone went quiet as they stared at him stunned. Having had enough of everyone blaming him for something he didn’t do, Draco hit the table again, causing everyone to flinch at the noise, before storming out of the room._ _

_ _He spent the next five hours hiding in his quarters as most of his schoolmates frequently pounded on his door cursing at him. He eventually put a silencing charm up to terminate the noise, but it seemed someone with more superiority, had other ideas about his privacy._ _

_ _“Mr. Malfoy” a firm voice spoke, causing Draco’s heart to drop instantly into his stomach. “You have thirty seconds to open this door before I open it for you.” the voice declared adamantly “And you do not want me to open this door.”_ _

_ _Draco jumped up, rushed to open the wooden barrier, and came face to face with Headmistress Minerva McGonagall._ _

_ _“Mr. Malfoy…It has come to my attention that you have cau-”_ _

_ _“I didn’t sabotage Granger’s potion, Professor” he cut in quickly._ _

_ _McGonagall creased her brow in disbelief before lowering her head down slightly._ _

_ _“I did not say that you did” she claimed gently._ _

_ _“Oh…Well then wha…”_ _

_ _She studied Draco’s face as she leaned her head to the side, before glancing behind her at all the students staring up at them._ _

_ _“I can put up a silencing charm…if you prefer?” she suggested delicately._ _

_ _“No I-uh…No…” Draco stammered as he looked back to her with a sullen expression “I know how they all feel about me; might as well just let them listen to you berate me.”_ _

_ _Dropping her shoulders she let out a small sigh as she turned around._ _

_ _“I suspect you all have better things to attend to then standing around eavesdropping on a matter that does not concern you.”_ _

_ _The eighth years quickly scattered around the room in disarray collecting their things as they rushed to their rooms as fast as they could._ _

_ _“Thanks.”_ _

_ _“Do not thank me yet” she stated while briefly twisting to face him “Come with me.”_ _

_ _XX_ _

_ _07:10pm_ _

_ _Draco reluctantly followed the Headmistress down the stairs and out of the portrait. He quietly continued to trail after her until they made it into Dumbledore’s old office. Placing his hands in his pockets he stood in front of the grand desk as she took her seat._ _

_ _“Have a seat.” she motioned to one of the two golden chairs placed on either side of him._ _

_ _“I would rather stand…If you don’t mind? I’ve been sitting all day.”_ _

_ _“Very well…As I tried to say earlier, it has come to my attention that you caused a scene during your potions exam today with the use of vulgar language, before walking out in irritation. You then locked yourself in your room while refusing to be questioned by any administrator; is that correct?”_ _

_ _“I uh…wait,” he looked up at her perplexed “this isn’t about me being blamed for tampering with Granger’s potion?”_ _

_ _“Not entirely…An investigation on that accusation is being held however, and you will be informed of the results if you are or are not established guilty of meddling...Understand this though, Mr. Malfoy, if you are found liable for tampering with Ms. Granger’s exam, your education at this school will cease immediately and you will be expelled. Your mother fought very hard to get you a place back in this school. I hope her efforts were not in vain.”_ _

_ _“I didn’t do anything wrong” he pleaded “For once in my life, Professor, I didn’t mess with her or her-”_ _

_ _McGonagall held up a hand, stopping him from continuing._ _

_ _“I am not saying that I believe or do not believe you. I am simply letting you know of the repercussions on if that is the case. As for the crude behavior expressed during class, I have no choice but to give you three days’ worth of detention and you are here by prohibited from attending the Halloween Ball tonight.”_ _

_ _“Okay fine” he exhaled lightly. “Whatever”_ _

_ _‘Not like I was planning on going anyway’_ _

_ _“You had no intention of going to the ball, did you?”_ _

_ _“I beg your pardon?” he questioned in surprise; hoping she didn’t just read his mind._ _

_ _“Mr. Malfoy, your…lack, of participating in any type of activity since the beginning of the school year has not gone unnoticed. You have kept strictly to yourself and hardly speak to any of your classmates; let alone engage in your studies like you used to. A few of your friends have pressed their concerns and Hermione Granger-”_ _

_ _‘Seriously? That girl doesn’t know when to quit!’_ _

_ _“Granger?” he asked, pulling his hands out of his pockets and began to clench his fists “Granger has talked to you about me? She has no right to say anything about me; she doesn’t know me!”_ _

_ _“Mr. Malfoy!” McGonagall exclaimed with furrowed brows “Ms. Granger is a very promising student and Head Girl of your class. She has every right to inform me on any student that resides in that common room; especially if any student is suffering through depression and or PTSD since the war ended.”_ _

_ _“I don’t have depression, I’m fine.”_ _

_ _“You most certainly are not.”_ _

_ _“I…I’m fine…If that’s all, may I go now?”_ _

_ _ “Detention Mr. Malfoy, starting tomorrow at six pm sharp in my office; do not be late.”_ _

_ _“Yeah…got it”_ _

_ _McGonagall let out a deep sigh and waved a hand motioning for him to leave. He quickly turned on his heel and left in a bitter haste._ _

_ _It was dark and quiet when Draco entered back into the common room, with only a few candles around to illuminate the room. He figured everyone had headed down to the ball already, so he took a seat on one of the sectionals, sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, and laid back. Unfortunately for him though, he heard the portrait door close but by the time he was able to react to the sound, Hermione was already on him with her wand outstretched; pointing it at his face._ _

_ _08:10pm_ _

_ _Draco closed his eyes in defeat and laid his head back down._ _

_ _“What do you want, Granger? I’m busy.”_ _

_ _“You are the most insufferable git I have ever met!” she yelled in anger._ _

_ _“Tell me something I don’t already know”_ _

_ _“I hate you! You purposely sabotage my chance of passing that exam so that you could pretend for once in your miserable mess up life that you were smarter than me! You will never be better than me, you will never be better than anyone! You a-are nothing, Malfoy…You’re nothing.”_ _

_ _Draco opened his eyes and turned his face to her. Even though her words stung, he wasn’t going to allow it to affect him anymore. But his thoughts drifted when his gaze landed on her red and black pirate outfit and he had to admit, she looked hot; regardless of the hate spewing from her red lips. Her costume wasn’t over the top slutty like some students would wear either. It was a respectable kind of hot, like she was a real pirate in one of those muggle movies Pansy made him watch once._ _

_ _“Are you finished?” he asked snapping his eyes away from her black knee high heeled boots._ _

_ _ “NO!” a silence filled the room as they stared at each other for what felt like forever “Yes…”_ _

_ _“Good” he stood up with a grunt and towered over her; removing her overly large hat so that he could get closer to her._ _

_ _He was just inches from her nose now and could feel her warm breath beating against his chin. Taking a slight gulp he continued in low tenacious murmur._ _

_ _“You know nothing about me, Granger. We may have ‘grown up’ together, but that doesn’t mean you know me. I didn’t fuck with your potion and I would appreciate it if you didn’t accuse me of something so callous without having all the details first.”_ _

_ _“You are a heartless git!” she scorned as she leaned in like she was playing a game of chicken._ _

_ _But as her lips almost brushed up against his, he backed away with wide eyes as he stared at her in wonder._ _

_ _“You’re not pissed because you think I wrecked your potion…you know that I didn’t. You’re pissed because I refuse to have anything to do with you. You think you can solve my dilemma, don’t you?…Either that or you like me.”_ _

_ _“Oh my God-now you have really lost your mind!”_ _

_ _“Have I though?” he scrunched his face in anger while tossing her hat onto the couch “You know it’s funny cause it seems the more I blow you off the angrier you get. I am not some problem case you can try and fix! You don’t get a damn consolation prize for repairing what you think is broken! I don’t want your pity and I sure as hell don’t want you trying to talk to me, let alone kissing me!”_ _

_ _“You are so delusional!”_ _

_ _“Ha! Okay Granger.”_ _

_ _“Pathetic! This is so pathetic! You’re pathetic!” she yelled while throwing her hands in the air._ _

_ _“You’re not denying it” he claimed crossing his arms with a smirk plastered on his face._ _

_ _“No! No, you know what;” she aggressively took a few steps closer to him with a finger waving in his face “you don’t get to try and turn this around on me! You were the one who was inches from my face and couldn’t take the heat when it comes back at you! You will always be a cruel narcissistic bastard of a coward who ruins things for people because you have no idea how to care about anyone but your damn self!”_ _

_ _Draco furrowed his brows as his enmity began to boil within. Of all the things people had ever bitterly said to him or about him, Hermione’s words pained him the most. He could handle the rude stares, his peers talking about him like he wasn’t in the room, even people calling him a failed Death Eater; but selfish…that was the one thing that stung the most and he couldn’t for the life of him, figure out why it hurt so much coming from her._ _

_ _“We’re done here” he stated in a rough tone before turning around to head upstairs._ _

_ _However, he’d barely taken a step when Hermione grasped his right shoulder and whirled him back around. He opened his mouth to yell at her for touching him while expecting another verbal battle, when he came in direct contact with the knuckles of her fist. The hit was a lot harder than the last time she had punched him and the pain in his bloody nose was excruciating. But the pain was the last thing he remembered, before being awoken in his bed by someone banging on his door._ _


	2. Déjà vu

Chapter 2- Déjà vu

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:20am

Covering his head with his pillow, Draco clenched his eyes closed as the headache from Hermione’s punch grew. He had no idea how he got back into his bedroom, but at that moment, he didn’t really care. He glanced up at the clock on his nightstand and let out a loud whining groan when he realized he slept all night.

“Draco!” Theo bellowed from the other side of the wooded entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!”

“Go away” he grumbled.

“I would but I can’t until I know you’re up. Plus I’m tired of hearing her nag about you being so slow! So hurry up!”

“Why the hell do I need to get up early on a Saturday?”

“Saturday? Draco it’s Friday… The Ball is tonight and Pansy wants to finish getting the last minutes details prepped for our costumes.

‘Friday? He’s joking…right?’

Grabbing his wand off his nightstand he looked back at the date on the clock and crinkled his brows in confusion.

‘What the fuck? But the Ball was yesterday…’

“Just get down stairs quickly…Please?” Theo finished.

Unwillingly he stood up, grabbed his school robes from his closet and got dressed before catching his appearance in the mirror. He looked tired and beaten but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Waving his wand like he did every morning, he freshened himself up before moving to open his door. As he stepped out in frustration that he had to get up early again Hermione crashed right into him; dropping her books all over the floor.

“Again Granger, geez; wanna have another go and yell at me some more? Punch me again?”

Hermione raised a brow as she looked up at him from her crouched position on the floor.

“What are you talking about? That was third year,” she stood up and scrunched her nose while adjusting the books in her hands “You honestly still can’t let that go? I already told you I was sorry about that on the train.”

Draco tilted his head in confusion as Hermione frowned and brushed passed him.

“Draco!” Pansy called out in glee as she stood up from the couch “Took you long enough; we were beginning to think you died up there.”

His eyes darted around the hall as he thought about what just happened. It was like she didn’t remember hitting him last night or the fight they had. His mind began to race but he quickly shook the thoughts from his brain and headed downstairs. Plopping himself on the couch he sat on yesterday, Draco kicked up his feet and let out a sigh.

“Oh enough with the self-loathing” Pansy stated as she cuddled up next to Blaise “It’s two days until Halloween and tonight is the Ball. Would it kill you to at least act happier?”

“It just might” Ron chimed in as he, Lavender, and Harry took seats in the corner away from the Slytherin’s.

Draco sat up quickly causing everyone to stare at him like he had grown a second head.

“Draco, you okay mate?” Blaise asked in concern.

He ignored his friend as he shook his head to rid the idea that he was reliving the dream he had last night.

“See,” Ron continued “we have been here almost two months trying to ‘get along’ and he has been nothing but a sourpuss the whole time.”

“It’s true” Harry added quietly “he doesn’t really speak to anyone.”

‘This isn’t happening…this can’t be happening. What the fuck happened last night?’

“That’s because he has been through a lot” claimed Pansy in a huff.

“We have all been through a lot” Ron stated as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

Draco promptly stood up in a panic as everyone in the room gawked at him.

“I…I uh…” he gulped slightly before quickly walking away from the group.

As he rushed to the portrait he heard the rest of the conversation before hearing the male Hufflepuff begin to say the same thing he said yesterday.

Panicking he ran out through the portrait trying to get away from the situation as fast as possible. Stopping a few feet from the door he breathed heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair. A minute later Hermione stormed out of the door with Harry following not long after and Draco instantly knew it was because of the virgin joke Lavender said.

Doubling over with his hands resting on his knees; he sucked in breath after breath before Theo emerged in front of him.

“Hey!...Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Draco stood up and ran his fingers through his hair again. Letting out a deep sigh he leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

“Draco…What happened?”

“I…I don’t know”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

He lowered his head and gazed at his friend in frustration.

“I-DON’T-KNOW!” he shouted.

“Okay, alright…Can you just…start at the beginning? Did someone say something to you? What’s going on?”

He took in a deep breath through his nose as he crossed his arms before opening his mouth to speak.

“Yesterday…was Friday.”

“Uh, I’m pretty sure it was Thursday.”

‘I’m not crazy’

“No- it…” Draco uncrossed his arms and placed both hands on top of his head “this day already happened. That whole conversation in there,” he pointed to the door “I’ve heard it already.”

“Sooo…you’re experiencing, what, déjà vu?”

“I-I guess you could say that, but…”

Before he could reply any further everyone remaining in the common room came out with Ron rushing at the forefront to get to breakfast and meet up with his friends.

‘He’s going to fall’

Just as Draco predicted, halfway down the hall Ron tripped over his feet and fell to the ground.

“Oof, that’s embarrassing…Okay well I’m hungry, so let’s walk and talk.”

Theo grabbed his arm to get him to follow and they began to walk down to breakfast together.

“So…déjà vu?”

“Forget it, Theo. It’s nothing important.”

“No, no I want to know what’s going on. This is the first time in a long while that we have actually gotten to talk,” he shrugged “so let’s talk.”

“There isn’t anything to talk about. I’m just…I don’t know maybe I dreamt it all and it’s just a big coincidence?”

‘But it felt so real’

“It’s possible-oh maybe you’re a seer! Did you use your inner eye?” Theo chuckled.

“What? No I-”

“Ooo, did you see that?” he cut in when the Ravenclaw girl smacked her boyfriend across the face.

“I did…Yesterday.” Draco mumbled under his breath.

Theo chuckled as he looked at him weirdly before continuing onwards.

As they turned the corner, Draco watched as the same things kept happening. He tried to pass it off but he slowly started to believe he was losing his mind. Sitting down at breakfast, he ignored the same speech McGonagall gave before and played with the snake emblem embedded into the table. After the breakfast buffet was served, he played around with the eggs on his plate as he thought about what Theo said.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Pansy asked him worryingly.

“Let him be, Pans” Blaise interfered “He seems extra moody today.”

“I’m not moody!” Draco defended sharply, but paused when he remembered the conversation.

“See” Blaise held out his hand “moody.”

“Give it a rest Blaise; he’s having a bad day.” Theo chimed in when Draco refused to speak up.

“By waking up?” he retorted. “All you ever do is stay in your room and keep to yourself, Draco. What could possibly have happened that would put you in such a bad mood?”

“She’s going to scream at Brown” he whispered aloud as he looked up to the Gryffindor table.

“What?” Blaise questioned as he leaned forward.

“ENOUGH LAVENDER!”

Everyone in the hall went quiet as they looked over at Hermione staring angrily down at Lavender.

“Ugh! Just leave me alone!”

Pansy pointed a finger as she turned back around and looked at Draco with an open mouth.

“H-how did you know she was going to do that?” she asked while bending her upper body closer to the table.

“Lucky guess” Blaise answered as he stabbed at his eggs. “Granger is always yelling at someone and Brown of all people has a special way of getting under her skin.”

“I’m beginning to think she has ulterior motives for why she singles Granger out” Pansy claimed as she bit into a slice of bacon.

“You know Pans, I think you may be right” Blaise replied calmly. “Granger’s lecture this morning was strange though. I can see why Brown picks on her.”

“Strange? What do you mean strange?” Draco asked as he looked to his friend.

“Why do you care?”

“Just tell me!”

“Uh, okay--well she defended you for starters, and then tried to cover it up by telling us to study for the exam. Wait are you-”

Draco quickly stood up and left the Great Hall in a hurry, not even realizing that Theo never once took his eyes off him.

“Draco! Wait-where are you going?” Theo shouted as he ran down the hall to catch up to him.

“I need to talk to Granger” he replied while refusing to stop the brisk pace down the empty corridor. Though Theo caught up to him relatively quickly and pulled at his arm, but Draco shoved him off and kept going.

“Draco, are you sleeping with her?” he blurted out.

Stopping in his tracks, Draco turned on his heel with his mouth gaped open.

“Are you serious right now? Merlin’s beard-No! Why the hell would you think I was sleeping with her?”

“Well it’s either that or you are both harboring secret feelings for each other… Oh come on,” he continued as he waved off Draco’s sour expression “you both act strange around each other, she tries to talk to you in public but you brush her off because you have an image you no longer need to maintain, and in case you haven’t noticed she actually looks to be upset when you push her away…and now you’re running off to see her after that outburst.”

“I am not harboring any sort of feelings for her! Ugh okay, someone is going to sabotage her potion today and I am going to get blamed for it; resulting to me locking myself in my room until McGonagall shows up, breaks down my silencing charm, and gives me detention; all before Granger argues with me in the common room during the ball, just to end up punching me in the face! So before this day gets any worse, I need to warn Granger about Brown.”

“Wow…I-uh…that’s…strangely specific. Probably would have been easier to just say you were secretly dating her.”

“How the hell would that be easier? A-and I’m not dating her o-or sleeping with her! Salazar!” he claimed as he threw his hands in the air.

“You have to admit though, she is hot, and smart--so are you. It’s not like it would be a huge shock if you two hooked up. I mean you guys would look good together and you both balance each other’s intelligence out. Also ever since the war we’ve all sort of matured in a sense…look, all I’m saying is I’m sure we could all handle a secret love affair between you and Granger, but seeing the ‘future’…that’s a little beyond my expertise.”

Draco tilted his head and scrunched his face in disgusted confusion.

“Did you just call me hot?”

“What? No, not-I’m not-I didn’t mean it like that. Gross! Geez you give a guy a simple compliment and he turns it around like everyone wants him.”

Draco threw his head back in annoyance before turning around to continue down the hall.

“Wait!” Theo shouted after him making him stop for a second “Is that really all you got out of that?”

“Bloody hell, Theo, seriously? Now is not the time.”

“I’m just saying, mate, maybe having Granger be more than just a friend wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

“Never gonna happen. She and I are not friends, nor will we ever be friends. I am done talking about this.”

“Okay fine, but you can’t just go barging in there telling her everything you just told me.”

Draco clapped his palms against the sides of his thighs before rolling his eyes and continued to march towards the common room door.

“Draco, stop!” Theo demanded.

“What, Theo, what the hell do you want? I am on a time limit here!” he yelled as he torqued his body around.

“Do you honestly think anyone is going to believe you? I mean, I hardly believe you. Think about it mate; you go in there and start rambling about seeing the future, she is going to think you’ve gone mental. Don’t you remember when she walked out of Trelawney class? She hates Divinations.”

“I…I never thought about that.”

“Yeah well, if you really think someone is going to ruin her potion and blame you for it, then my only suggestion would be for you to either try telling a Professor, without sounding crazy, or…”

“Or what?”

“Or skip class”

“I’ll fail the exam if I skip”

“It’s only a monthly exam Draco, I am sure the hit you’ll take on your grade won’t be a bad as getting expelled. That shite will follow you through any career you try to pursue…Just think about it, alright? We have an hour before class so you have some time to weigh your options. If it comes down to it, I’ll make up some excuse for you. It’s possible you can retake the exam tomorrow or something.”

“Yeah…Okay--I’ll think about it.”

“Good! In the meantime, I’m going to go talk Blaise and Pansy off the ‘you sleeping with Granger’ cliff.”

“They think I’m sleeping with her too? What the fuck?”

“Almost everyone does. No one says it aloud but we all thought it. You guys went from hating each other for so long to being nice all of a sudden, it’s a little strange.”

“I’m not nice to her” Draco claimed as he shook his head in disbelief.

“Well you sure as hell aren’t mean to her anymore- Draco you catch yourself whenever the word mudblood tries to come out of your mouth, you actively go out of your way to not hurt her anymore, and if we are being completely honest here, she’s the only one besides me that you have actually sort have talked to since school started back up”

‘Have I really been nice to her?’

“Anyway…I’m going to go do some damage control so…”

“Yeah, I’ll just--stay in my room for now.”

Theo pressed his lips together as his gaze fell to worry; but he quickly nodded his head before he turned around and walked back to the Great Hall. Draco dropped his shoulders as he put his hands in his pockets and watched as his friend turned the corner and disappear. He stood alone in the empty hall contemplating whether the Intel he just received was accurate or not. Minute after minute passed by, but it wasn’t until people started to fill the halls that he finally move.

Draco walked into the eighth year common room and noticed that Hermione and Ginny were not sitting on the couch like he remembered. Realizing he was outside longer than the first time, he figured the pair went to one of their rooms, so he let out a sigh and walked up stairs.

He sat on his bed for the next half hour as thought after thought bombarded his mind. A slight knock at his door drew him out of his hypnotic state and he looked to the wooden barrier with a fallen face knowing exactly who was on the other side.

“Malfoy?” her calm soft voice spoke “It’s-”

“What do you need Granger?” he quickly cut in.

“I-I just wanted to let you know that Potions is starting shortly, in-in case you were still sleeping.”

“I wasn’t sleeping”

‘Why do I keep telling her that?’

“Oh, o-okay…Well…I guess I’ll see you in class then.”

“Granger, wait”

Draco stood up and opened the door to find Hermione standing in front of him with her lips slightly parted. Her eyes showed a small amount fear as she looked up at him and he half knew she was preparing for him to snap on her at any moment. He wanted to soften his features to show her he wasn’t going to call her names or make fun of her hair, the hair that now fell off her shoulders in soft warm curls, but he had to get his point across and he didn’t want her to think that what she was doing, was okay.

“People think we are sleeping together” he stated firmly.

Hermione’s eyes widened in bewilderment as her jaw dropped in surprise.

“I-I…What? That’s absu-”

“Everyone is thinking we are secretly dating because you keep trying to talk to me. And no matter how many times I tell you to go away, or ignore you, you keep pushing to get me to talk to you”

“Malfoy I-”

“Leave-me-alone! I’m not your boyfriend, I’m not your friend, and I am not some charity case you can try to fix!”

Hermione took a step back as her brown eyes began to water making Draco instantly feel terrible; but he had to make her understand.

“I don’t know why you have this obsessive need to try and get me to talk to you and honestly I really don’t care, but it needs to stop. You need to stop and just leave me the hell alone. I have enough problems wallowing in my own misery; I don’t need rumors of us sleeping together on top of it, alright?”

“I…I-I’m sorry, I-”

Draco let out a huff through his nose before taking a step back and shutting the door in her shocked frozen face. He felt horrible for hurting her feelings when it seemed like all she wanted to do was help him. As a matter of fact, she was the only one who actually seemed to care that he was going through a lot. But it didn’t excuse her actions which caused his classmates to gossip, and it was the only way he could think to get her off his case. He just wanted to be left alone.

He decided to take Theo’s advice and skip Potions class. He knew for a fact that it would cause a whole cascade of issues for him in the long run, but he wasn’t about to test fate by showing up just to get blamed for something he would never do. Even as a bratty child, he never stooped as low as to ruin an exam for someone; that was something Crabbe would have done and he was no longer around.

‘Should I have warned her about Brown?’ he thought to himself as he lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling with his hands folded on his stomach. ‘Would it have made things worse? Would she even believe me? Of course she wouldn’t believe you Draco; she would think you’re crazy, just like everyone else does. No, it’s better that you skipped. No one can blame you if you’re not even there.’

02:30pm

“Draco! Draco open up!” Theo begged in a panic as he pounded on the door.

‘I can never get just one moment to my damn self!’

Letting out a deep exhale he slowly stood up placed his hand on the doorknob before gradually beginning to open it; but he only managed to get the door partially cracked before Theo shoved passed him in a hurry and began pacing back and forth in front of his bed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Sure Theo, come on in” Draco claimed in sarcasm while shutting the door.

“Draco, what the bloody hell did you do?”

“What? I didn’t do anything. I’ve been in my room since breakfast.”

“Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure you were here the whole time?” Theo asked as he stopped pacing and turned to face Draco.

“Theo-”

“Are you sure?” he firmly interrupted with a finger pointed up.

“Yes…What the fuck is going on?”

Theo took a seat on the bottom of the bed and ran both hands through his disheveled hair.

“I told Slughorn you were sick but…Granger’s potion got tampered with anyway, just like you said it would.”

“Okay well I wasn’t there so-”

“Everyone saw you…”

Draco protruded his jaw forward as he furrowed his brows in confusion.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Everyone saw you snap on Granger before class. Half the class thinks you did something to ‘send a message’ to get her to back off!”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re serious right now, I didn’t do anything! I wasn’t even there!”

“Yeah well, everyone is coming up with odd ways as to how you did it. Weasley even claimed that you stole Potter’s invisibility cloak just so you could sneak around; but Potter denied that quickly because he didn’t want his shite to be taken.”

“That is fucking insane!” Draco stated, throwing his hands into the air as he began to pace back and forth in front of the door.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” Theo mumbled “And there is no way to prove you’re innocence. Not unless they either take your memories or give you Veritaserum; both of which are illegal to use on students.”

“Bloody fucking hell! What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“I have no idea. But you can’t go out there right now. They all want your head on a platter.”

“Fuck!” Draco ran his fingers threw his blonde hair as he moved to sit next to his Slytherin friend “I thought not going would prevent this from happening. Why else would I be experiencing this kind of déjà vu?”

“Draco, are you sure it’s just déjà vu? Maybe you should talk to Professor Trelawney or Firenze.”

“I am not talking to some old bat about this, and a centaur won’t be able to help me as it takes years for them to read the stars.”

“Okay well, your choices are limited so take it or leave it. I don’t really know how else to help you. Everyone in that class is getting questioned right now and it is only a matter of time before the headmistress wants to speak to you…But if what you told me earlier is correct, then she is just going to give you detention, right? Your main problem, besides the riot that is about to happen outside your door, seems to be getting around Granger punching you later tonight.”

“I just need to avoid the common room after McGonagall takes me to her office. Simple.”

‘How did this get so out of hand?’

“If you say so” Theo shrugged before standing up “Do you want me to stay? I can grab Blaise and Pansy too if you like. We can form like a group or something.”

“I don’t need or want a group to protect me from the Gryffindor Bookworm. I am sure I can handle her myself. I’ll be able to see it coming this time.”

“Alright…but if you change your mind…”

“I don’t need bodyguards, Theo!”

Theo held up his hands in defense as he took a few steps back but he lowered his hands quickly and turned around to leave when he heard pounding on the door behind him.

“Malfoy! Open this door you slimy git!” Ron shouted in anger.

Draco rolled his eyes before throwing himself backwards in a huff. Theo threw up a silencing charm followed by a locking charm to keep the pissed off Gryffindor out and Draco would have thanked him, but he knew in a few hours McGonagall was just going to remove both spells anyway.

07:00pm

As the boys waited, Theo suggested playing a game of Exploding Snap; but the idea of playing a game where the cards spontaneously explode in his room, was not something Draco thought would be good for his state of mind, so instead for the next few hours they played a couple games of Wizard’s Chess. Four and half hours later, Professor McGonagall took down the spells and asked Draco to open his door, causing Theo to stare up at him in shock as Draco let out a sigh of defeat.

“Mr. Malfoy,” she began, but stopped when she saw Theo standing next to Draco’s bed “Mr. Nott, may I ask what you are doing here?”

“Hello Professor,” he waved with a weary smile as he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck “I was just coming to see you.”

“I am sure you were…” she claimed while dipping her chin into her chest as she gazed at him in disappointment “Very well, seeing as I am needed shortly to chaperone the Ball and you delayed questioning to warn Mr. Malfoy here, you leave me no choice but to bring you both to my office…If you would follow me, please.”

Draco and Theo stepped out the door and into the hallway but stopped as they saw everyone standing around the couches below with fury on their features. Blaise and Pansy looked more disappointed than anything but Hermione…

‘Wait a second’

Draco looked around the crowd of outraged faces and noticed Hermione was not in the group.

‘Where is she…Wait why do you even care? You don’t care…So then why did you actively seek her out? Because she is the reason for all this shite! Is she though… You know what, just…Shut up!’

“I suspect you all have better things to attend to then standing around eavesdropping on a matter that does not concern you.” McGonagall stated strongly.

‘This shite is getting too weird’

After the students scattered, Draco and Theo followed the Headmistress to her office in silence. They stood awkwardly in front of her desk as she took her seat and waited for her to speak.

“Have a seat.” she motioned to the two two golden chairs placed directly behind them.

“I-” Draco began but Theo cut in quickly with an ‘okay’ forcing him to have no choice except to sit.

“Now, who would like to begin explaining to me what happened?”

Theo looked to Draco with his mouth hung open ready to speak, but he seemed to be stuck on what to say.

“I-uh well…” Theo began.

“I’m experiencing déjà vu.” Draco interrupted with his arms crossed in front of him.

“I beg your pardon?” McGonagall questioned as she narrowed her eyes to him “What does that have to do with Ms. Granger’s potion being tampered with or you skipping your monthly exam?”

“I already know what happens today” Draco replied reluctantly “I-I don’t know if I dreamt it or-or what, but I knew Granger’s potion was going to have Fluxweed added when the recipe didn’t call for it, and I was going to get blamed for it; so I skipped class. I was going to ask Professor Slughorn if I could make the exam up tomorrow or something and I hoped my non-existent presence would prove I didn’t do it…Apparently I was wrong.”

“So you knew that the added ingredient was Fluxweed and you didn’t tell a Professor? Mr. Malfoy you do know that your story sounds a bit…farce?”

“Seriously?” Draco up righted himself out of the chair in frustration “I didn’t ask for this Professor! Yesterday I kept to myself, took the stupid exam, and ended up being accused for the same thing I am being blamed for now! I woke up and everything around me was the same! I can’t explain it…All I want to do is just forget it happened and move on!”

“Mr. Malfoy,” McGonagall stated firmly as she too stood “Sit-Down…Now.”

Draco threw his hands in the air as he took his seat and crossed his arms once more. Letting off a scoff he angrily stared off to his left refusing to look at anybody.

“Professor,” Theo interceded “I-I really think he’s telling the truth. Draco has no reason to sabotage Granger’s potion. Yes the story seems a little-absurd, but I have seen him predict a few things today before they even happened; and there was no way he could have intervened.”

“That may be Mr. Nott, but that does not excuse the case load I have to deal with to understand what happened in that classroom. Now until the investigation is complete, there is not much else we can do but wait. In the time being, I have a Ball to chaperon…Mr. Nott in all fairness, due to you hiding out while knowing there was an inquiry in progress and lying to a professor about Mr. Malfoy being ill, I am afraid I must suspend you from the dance this evening.”

“What? But-”

“I am sorry but my hands are tired” she interrupted “As for you Mr. Malfoy-”

“I know…three days detention, in your office, six pm, no Ball. You also want to mention that you think I’m depressed. I’m guessing Blaise and Pansy, maybe Theo here too, said something to you regarding my ‘mental health’; you weren’t specific the last time I heard this so I am only assuming it was them who said something. Only person you were specific about was Granger. Also you want to state that if I am found guilty, my education at this school will cease immediately and I will be expelled. My mother fought very hard, as you claimed the last time, to get me back into Hogwarts, and you hope her efforts will not be in vain. Does that about cover it? Can we go now?”

Professor McGonagall’s face fell to shock before she softened her eyes to concern. He could tell she was worried by the strain in the wrinkles surrounding her gaze, but he knew she couldn’t help him…no one could. She thought he was just as crazy as he felt.

“Very well, however due to that outburst, it is now four day’s detention.”

“Yeah, sure fine, whatever”

McGonagall let out a deep sigh and waved a hand motioning for them to leave. He quickly stood up and left in a bitter haste with Theo hot on his trail.

08:02pm

Draco stood in front of the portrait of a prairie woman tapping her foot impatiently with her arms crossed in front of her. She was definitely annoyed and for once he couldn’t blame her. She had asked him three times now for the password but he wouldn’t budge; even when Theo opened his mouth to utter the words, Draco stopped him, causing his best friend to look at him curiously.

“If you are not going to say the password young man, than I suggest you be on your merry way” the woman in the painting stated “It is rude to stare!”

“I wholeheartedly agree ma’am” Theo claimed as he continued to eye Draco wearily “Draco…can we go in please?”

Draco shushed his friend as he threw a hand up to stop him from talking while scrunching his face in concentration. Suddenly his lips fell at the realization of what was about to occur, couldn’t be stopped if he entered.

“Fuck!” he exclaimed as he laced his fingers on top of his head.

“Wait…” Theo began “We just came back from McGonagall’s office… Granger is supposed to hit you isn’t she?”

“Yes”

“You mean to tell me that we have been standing out here for ten minutes for you to just now remember that?”

“I was trying to think of a way to get around it!”

“You were thi-for Salazar sake mate, just hide in your damn room!”

“I can’t just hide in my room smartarse! Granger is Head Girl of our dorm; she has all the privileges of a Professor’s Assistant. As in she has the ability to remove locks and silencing charms; she can still easily get to me if she is as pissed as last time.”

“Then just don’t argue with her! Merlin, I just want to sulk in my room!” Theo declared as he leaned his back up against the wall.

“What the hell do you have to sulk about? You’re not the one who already saw this day happen, knowing full well that you’re about to get punched in the face.”

“Are you serious? You roped me into this mess causing me to get axed from attending the Halloween Ball, which by the way, I really was looking forward to going to! And before you say that I didn’t have to try and help you, let’s just point out that you have been the one acting loonier than Luna Lovegood today, which in itself is saying something, so obviously I am going to want to help my friend!”

“Point taken”

“So let’s figure something out and quickly. I don’t want to stand out here any longer than I have to and I am pretty sure Granger is going to be coming soon as well.”

“Alright…Well we don’t need to be gone long, I don’t think. She most likely just forgot something because when I saw her yesterday-or today-or whatever, she was already in her Pirate costume.”

“Was she hot?” Theo asked as he flicked his eyebrows upwards.

“Grow up!” Draco stated as he rolled his eyes and began walking down the opposite corridor away from the Great Hall toward the Library.

“Well was she?” Theo expelled with a chuckle.

“I’m not answering that” he claimed as he continued to walk.

“I’ll take that as a yes then”

“Don’t take it as anything! I am not stooping to your pathetic antics!”

“Admit it Draco, you like her.”

Draco stopped in his tracks and whipped his body around so quickly that Theo ran directly into him.

“What the-”

“Lay-the fuck-off!” he snapped.

“Well,” Theo scoffed “someone needs to get laid…Wait,” he continued as Draco turned back around “is it because she’s a virgin? You don’t want to have sex with virgins? That’s a little rude; what did they ever do to you?”

“No, Theo! Geez,” he claimed as he stopped in front of the Library and turned back around “I don’t have a problem with virgins!”

“You’re getting a little too irritated by this. I mean…Oh my Basilisk in a Chamber--‘Don’t say it’--you’re a virgin!” Draco’s eyes went wide as his cheeks instantly flushed a crimson red “Holy shite-you are!” Theo smiled widely.

“Keep your damn voice down!” Draco whispered through gritted teeth as he dragged Theo by the arm closer to the Library doors.

“This is-Bouncing Ferrets, I can’t believe this!” he laughed excitingly “You keep passing Granger off because you don’t know how to bone her.”

“Are you for real right now? That…” he quickly stopped to look around to make sure no one was nearby before turning his eyes back to Theo’s “that is not why I keep passing her off! Okay yes, she’s hot and I don’t completely hate her anymore, but pushing her away…it just goes so much deeper than that.”

Theo crossed his arms as he leaned a shoulder against the wall.

“Okay…how much deeper?” he asked in concern.

“Yeah Malfoy, how much deeper” a male voice questioned in a condescending tone making the boys snap their heads up in surprise “Deeper than this morning when Hermione only tried to wake you’re arse up for the class you ruined for her, and instead of just ignoring her you snapped like a bloody tyrant?”

“Ron stop” Harry cut in while he finished shoving his invisibility cloak into his pocket, but Ron shoved him away and took a step forward.

“Or do you mean deeper like you standing in your stupid mansion watching her get abused a-and mutilated and did nothing!”

“Ron, enough” Harry tried again after everyone gasped with wide eyes

“Not even an apology afterwards and yet, she still tries to be your friend…that deep?”

“Weasley,” Theo asserted as he removed himself from the wall “back off. You don’t know what you’re talking about. What the hell are you supposed to be anyway? It’s hard to take you seriously while you’re wearing green spanx. Didn’t know you ran that way; does Lav-Lav know?” he smirked.

“I-it’s- Peter Pan and yes she knows because she’s Wendy; this was her idea!”

“I’m sure it was” Theo chuckled into his fist. “I wonder…if a Boggart appeared in front of you right now, would it turn into a mirror; cause I too am terrified of the little balls suffocating between your legs. Are you even able to have children after wearing those?”

“Piss off Nott!”

“It was a serious question…And let me guess, Weaselette’s girl zombie, Potter? At least that’s a cool costume.”

“Thanks” Harry grinned but quickly lost the smile when he saw Ron’s face turn to a scowl.

“Let’s not get off topic here, Nott.”

“Nah, Weasley. We’re done here.” Theo smacked Draco’s arm and began to walk away “Let’s go mate.”

“How cute, you have your lackey giving you orders now?” Ron patronized with a laugh.

“Knock it off Weasley,” Draco finally spoke “I can easily defend myself; I am just choosing to try and be the bigger person here by walking away.”

“Oh the bigger person” he mocked while taking a step forward “last I checked you’ve only been acting like Merlin’s saggy left tit since we came back here.”

“And you have been nothing but the bully I once was” Draco said snidely as he took a step closer to the red-head

“You know, I wonder if you actually would have been able to come back here if it wasn’t for your mum being the ‘bigger person’ and lying to Voldemort to help win the war.”

“And I wonder if you will ever gain enough common sense to not start fights you know you won’t win!” Draco sneered as he towered over the Gryffindor.

“Guys stop” Harry interjected as he and Theo watched the two men continue to bicker.

But as they tried to pull their friends away when the argument became more heated, Ron snapped. The only person to really see it coming was Harry, but he wasn’t able to grab his wand quick enough before Ron lifted his arm and slammed his fist directly into Draco’s face, forcing him to stumble backwards. Draco dabbed a finger to his bloody lip, before letting out a small scoff, and venomously glared back at the fear stricken boy in front of him.

“Draco, are you alright?” Theo asked as he ran up to him, but Draco merely shoved him away before standing upright and licked the small amount blood off the corner of his lip.

“Your Golden Girl hits harder than you, you arse! Here, let me show you.”

Without hesitating, Draco lunged at Ron and tackled him painfully to the ground. As soon as he righted himself over the red-head, he torqued his arm back and landed a heavily fisted punch straight into Ron’s nose. He promptly wound his arm back again but the hit never landed. Instead he was struck with a strong stupefy; essentially throwing him off the Gryffindor and into the wall. His head hit the concrete with a sickening thud, knocking him out cold as Theo raced towards him.

Opening his eyes, Draco let out a groan as he gazed up at the bricked ceiling above him. He raised a hand to the back of his head expecting to feel dry blood, but it seemed fine so he raised the upper half of his body off the ground and looked around. Now realizing he was in his bedroom he rubbed the base of his palms across his forehead and turned to look at the clock. Picking it up off the end table he reread the time and realized it was 07:20 am. He let out a low grumble as he set the device down and laid his head back. Placing one of his four pillows over his face, he closed his eyes and tried to forget the fight, he clearly was winning, with Ron. Unfortunately for him though a loud knock hammered at his door, interrupting his blissful Saturday morning.

“Draco!” Theo shouted from the other side of the wooded entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!”

Sitting up as fast as his body would possibly allow him, he reached for the clock again and looked at the date. Throwing the clock across the room, he scrambled out of bed, almost falling backwards into his closet in the process, as his eyes went wide and terror… began to fill his lungs.


	3. Don't Panic

Chapter 3- Don’t Panic

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:22am

“No! No, no, no, no, no! This isn’t happening; this can’t be possible!” Draco announced as he gripped his hair in fear.

“Uh Draco…are you alright in there?” Theo asked in concern from the other side of the door.

Dread bombarded Draco’s body as if a hurricane whipped through his veins at a rapid speed. He began to sweat profusely as an unsettling feeling began to overwhelm him. Still in his white tee and checkered green pajama bottoms, he ignored changing or freshening up and rushed to open the door. Theo jumped out of the way as Draco pushed passed him and ran to the balcony railing.

“Draco!” Pansy called out in glee as she stood up from the couch “Took you long…enough…Are-are you okay?” she tilted her head as she lowered her hand and studied him.

His heart began to beat faster in his chest while terror invaded his entire body. He gripped the railing harder, making his knuckles go white when Hermione opened her door and walked out of her room. His gaze steered in her direction and he noticed she was looking down at the same books he had seen her holding twice before and all he wanted to do was knock the fucking things out of her hands. He began hyperventilating making her lift her head and catch his eye. Her eyes darted around the room at everyone ogling him, before looking back with worry filling her features.

‘This isn’t happening’

“Malfoy, a-are you alright?” she asked in a troubled tone.

“This isn’t happening” he declared; his thoughts escaping his mind “This isn’t fucking happening!”

Pushing off the railing, he darted down the stairs and out through the portrait; completely ignoring the fact that he wasn’t even wearing slippers. Everyone in the common room looked at each other in shock and confusion before flinching at the sound of the portrait door slamming behind him.

“Well someone go after him!” Harry demanded from the base of the stairwell after a few seconds of silence.

Hermione dropped her books and began to run to the stairs but was cut off by Theo racing ahead of her. Blaise and Pansy quickly pursued after them as the remainder of students in the room hesitantly followed.

Draco stumbled as he dashed through the corridor, bumping into students left and right, not even caring about them yelling or cursing him; he was determined to prove that his mind was just playing tricks on him and he wasn’t about to let some stupid kids interrupt that.

He took a few gulps of air as he tried to get his breathing under control, but as soon as he saw Ginny yelling at a few underclassmen, panic set back in. Turning his head, he witnessed the Ravenclaw girl arguing with her boyfriend and his sight began to blur while the corridor spun before his eyes.

Rushing around the corner a small golden ball zoomed by his head and was quickly followed by a resounding smack echoing in his ears as the girl slapped her boyfriend. He began to whip his body around as he watched all the students around him eye him skeptically. The remaining eighth years finally caught up to him and began shouting his name to get his attention, but Draco was long passed hearing them.

Beads of sweat rolled down his temples while his breathing intensified. Grabbing his hair with both hands, Draco began to sob in the middle of the corridor while he watched everyone repeat the same things he already seen twice before.

His gaze finally landed on Hermione, who had a hand partially outstretched to him. Her face was filled with worry and uncertainty, but she slowly moved closer while everyone in the hall went quiet; peering over each other in order to catch a glimpse of the bizarre situation.

“Malfoy…” she began in a soothing voice “D-Draco, i-it’s alright. You’re okay, I-I’ve got you…We’ve got you.” She pointed to their friends behind her but never once wavered from his gaze “Talk to me; tell me what happened?”

Draco stared into her chocolate brown eyes and parted his lips slightly as his chest constricted.

“This isn’t real” he muttered aloud to himself.

“What isn’t real?” Hermione asked softly.

“Why do we tolerate him again?” Ron questioned crinkling his nose.

“He’s gone mental” Lavender answered while crossing her arms; obviously unconcerned about the audience standing in the hall “But at least now he’s somewhat acknowledging us.”

“Here’s an idea Lavender, how about you stop speaking about Malfoy like he’s not standing right there listening to everything you are saying about him behind his back…” Hermione began to declare in annoyance.

“In front of my face…” Draco finished in a whisper, causing Hermione to snap her focus back to him. “This isn’t happening.”

But that was all he could say before his vision turned black and he collapsed into her ready arms.

12:32pm

Draco began to open his eyes groggily as his vision started to return to normal and his focus landed on a single person hovering above him. He startled upright in a panic; breathing fast and heavily as he looked around the room.

“Whoa!” Theo stated while reaching out to steady him, but all he ended up doing was frightening Draco more.

“What’s today?” Draco questioned quickly.

“Um…Draco you were only-”

“WHAT IS THE DATE, THEO?” he demanded.

“The twenty-ninth!” he exclaimed suddenly. “You were only out a few hours...”

“No, no this isn’t right! I’m dreaming, I’m just dreaming. I need to wake up! Yes, that’s it; I just need to wake up!”

“Mate, what the bloody hell has gotten into you? You’re not dreaming…See…” Theo grasped his arm and lightly pinched the skin on Draco’s bicep to prove he was fully awake. “You’re not dreaming.”

“Theo, something is wrong with me…really, really, wrong.”

“Are you on drugs?” he asked tilting his chin up, pursing his lips together. “Is it that Devil’s Weed shite that makes you paranoid, because you really freaked us all out this morning? Potter, Blaise, and I carried you to Madam Pomfrey as fast as we could. You were whiter than the Bloody Barron! And McGonagall said you and I could take our exam tomorrow afternoon, but she wants a full report on your condition after you’ve had a few hours to gather yourself. Oh and-”

“Theo,” Draco swallowed heavily “Something is seriously wrong with me.”

“Well yeah, I mean you collapsed into Granger’s arms in the middle of the hallway. Who knew she was strong enough to support your fat arse” he joked as he lightly tapped Draco’s arm. “She stayed here until breakfast was over, but had to leave to study for Potions.”

“Everything is repeating” Draco blurted in the most serious tone he could muster.

“Um…oh-kay, I’ll bite. What is repeating?”

“I…I have already lived through this day…twice.”

“Uh…you’ve lost me. Are you sure you’re not on something? A new potion you’re testing?”

“I’M NOT…I’m not on anything, I am being completely serious right now! You have to believe me!”

“A time loop though? That seems a little preposterous, don’t you think? I mean come on, you honestly want me to believe that someone can relive the same day over and over again?”

“I want you to believe that I am telling the truth!” Draco pleaded.

“Draco mate, you sound like you hit your head when you fell.” Theo claimed as he stood up and rubbed his temples with both hands “This is absurd-time loops only occur in muggle Sci-Fi.”

“What the bloody hell is a Sci-Fi?”

“It means Science Fiction; you know, what muggles think we are…Didn’t Pansy have you watch movies with her when she discovered how they were moving pictures of books and said they were more fun than having to read?”

“If muggles think we are this, Sci-Fi shite, and we are real why the hell can’t time loops be real?”

“Because it’s fucking next to impossible! Just because we have magic doesn’t mean everything can be done!” Theo declared spinning around and running his fingers through his brown hair “Blimey mate, I thought you of all people would understand that!” he finished as he rotated back around.

“I would if the universe wasn’t trying to fuck me over right now by throwing me into a fucking nightmare! And now someone is going to ruin Grangers potion and I’m…Shite!”

“What?”

Draco tried to stand but Theo pushed him back down.

“Hold up! You can’t leave until Pomfrey checks you out, and I for one am not going to get chewed out because of you.”

“I need to talk to Granger, I need to warn her about Brown!”

“What the bloody hell are yo-”

“Keep your voices down!” Madam Pomfrey insisted as she walked out of her office in the back of the room. “This is the Hospital Wing and there are students here who need their rest-oh Mr. Malfoy, you’re awake,” she turned to Theo with a displeasured look upon her features “and you couldn’t be bothered to let me know the patient was awake?”

“Sorry Madam Pomfrey.”

“No bother, he seems well enough” she turned to Draco and brought out her wand. “I need to do a diagnostic spell to make sure everything is alright, alright?”

Draco nodded his head and laid back. Pomfrey cast the spell bringing up a magical projection of his body directly in front of him. He admired the new spell while she rotated the holographic-like image and for a brief moment, he forgot about everything that was happening to him.

“Okay, everything checks out; your blood sugar and pressure are fine and there are no traces of illegal substances or potions in your system” Draco turned his eyes to Theo with an ‘I told you so’ look before gazing back at the school nurse. “Seems to me like it was just a sever panic attack that caused you faint.”

“Right, so I can go now?” he asked, removing the thick blanket off his lap.

“I don’t see why not…Unless you would like to talk about what caused you that much distress, which in turn landed you in my infirmary?”

“No thank you. Turns out people just think I’ve gone mad” he stated while glaring down his Slytherin friend.

Pomfrey’s eyes darted back and forth between the two boys as they silently bickered back and forth, before rolling her eyes, and clearing her throat.

“If you two are finished with your little quarrel, you may leave now. I don’t need you disrupting my other patients.”

Draco quickly stood up and hurried out of the medical wing without hesitation. He rushed down the corridors left and right, ignoring Theo’s pleas for him to stop, before ceasing directly in front of the prairie woman guarding the common room.

“Blood Unity” he expressed and the woman nodded her head, before opening the entryway.

He clambered through the entrance before the door was even open all the way, but stopped when he noticed no one was in the room. Theo rushed in, panting hard as he bent over and placed his hands above his knees.

“I tried…to tell you…” he stood up straight and put his hands on his hips with a wince while still trying to catch his breath “Class started…over…a half-hour…ago-Merlin you are fast.”

“I have long legs-We need to get to Potions, now!” Draco claimed as he pushed passed his friend in haste.

“Draco! Damnit stop!”

“Fucking hell Theo, WHAT?” he shouted in frustration.

“Uh okay, you’re at like a ten…I need you at a two” he stated through deep breaths. “Man I need to start working out more.”

“Merlin’s fucking beard, I don’t have time for this.”

Theo took a few steps forward placing himself in Draco’s path to block him from going any further.

“Get out of my way!”

“No!” Theo declared, standing his ground.

“Excuse me?” he asked furrowing his brows.

“You heard me, I said NO! I’m not scared of you like everyone else is. I’m not going to step aside just because you hung out, unwilling I might add, with the big evil guy who killed and tortured people. I am your best mate for a reason, and my main objective at being said friend is to stop you from making rubbish decisions! Godric Gryffindor, I am out of shape!” the Slytherin claimed hunching over to the left while holding his ribs “I think I have a side stitch.”

“I-wh-”

“Oh give me a break!” he winced as he stood back up. “You think I’m just going to ignore your very odd conclusion that Brown, of all people, is going to sabotage Granger’s potion today, without any sort of proof, except for you thinking you’re stuck in a time-loop and saw it happen, without actually seeing it happen?”

“I…Well when you put it like that it sounds mental!”

“Of course it sounds mental, you dumbarse! And I am not about to let you march down to that classroom just to make a fool of yourself!” he sucked in a deep breath while still holding his side. “I need to sit down.”

Theo walked over to the couch facing the West fireplace and plopped himself down. He reclined back as Draco made his way over and sat across from him. He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands as he thought about what he was going to do.

“Okay so,” Theo began while propping his body up after a minute of recuperating “I don’t want to spend the rest of the day thinking my best mate has lost his damn mind…so tell me.”

Draco rubbed his hands down his face as he looked up to his friend in defeat and let out a long sigh.

“Tell you what?”

“Everything; start from the beginning. I want a clear understanding of exactly what I am getting into so that I can try and help you…so…tell me about the last two days.”

“Why? It’s not like you’re going to remember any of this anyway if I am repeating this day.”

“We don’t know that. For all we know, I could be the key to helping you unlock the mystery on how to break the curse the universe put you under.”

‘I could use some help’

“Doubtful but…I guess I could use a second brain on the matter. It might take a while though if you want full details.”

“Not a problem!” Theo exclaimed with clap of his hands “I’ll grab the popcorn!” He stood up and made his way to the foot of the stairs before Draco interrupted.

“Really, popcorn?”

“What? I missed lunch watching you sleep. I’m hungry.”

Draco scoffed and waved his hand before lying down on the couch and placed an arm over his face.

02:34pm

Over the next forty-five minutes, Draco explained to Theo everything that had occurred over the last two days. He felt like he was talking to a therapist about his problems, but clearly the shock radiating off his friends’ face, was a sure-fire sign that he wasn’t. Theo was terrible at hiding his emotions and Draco telling him everything, from the conversations he had to times he was knocked out, well let’s just say it wasn’t a surprise to see the boy’s jaw almost fall off.

“…and then I woke up today, on the same day, and-and I panicked” he finished as he rested his upper body against the back of the couch while exhaling slowly.

Theo stared at him with wide eyes as he slowly lifted a piece of popcorn into his mouth, making Draco think he definitely sounded crazier than he felt. Not once though did his friend say a word as he listened to the monologue while holding his bucket, and not once did he ever take his brown eyes off him. Theo continued to stare as he obviously tried processing everything, causing Draco to feel slightly uncomfortable about opening up.

“Can you stop eating that blasted popcorn and say something!”

“You’re a virgin?” he asked quickly while leaning forward in surprise. “Holy mother of Merlin! It’s no wonder you push Granger away! You don’t know-”

‘How to bone her’, yeah you said that the last time I told you. Is that really all you got out of that whole thing?”

“Oh fuck no! I have so many questions!’ he replied as his eyes darted back and forth looking for answers. “So…you like Granger then?”

‘Why does he keep asking me that?’

“What? No! Seriously?”

‘I don’t like her’

“But you don’t hate her, right?”

‘Not entirely’

Draco exhaled sharply as he aggressively slid his fingers through his blonde hair.

“No, I-I guess I don’t actually hate her, but I don’t like her either. Not like…that.”

“But you said it yourself, you thought she looked good in her costume and you even said you wished you could fix her potion the first day…wait.”

“What? What is it?” he looked up at his friend in anticipation.

“Draco you said the potion for the exam was a wishing potion?”

“Yeah, it was Slughorn’s invention.”

‘What is he getting at?’

“Never mind that, you said it was a wishing potion that requires a spell to deactivate it.”

“Okay and…?”

“And you claim Granger interrupted you before you even finished the incantation. What if what you said, is what caused this time loop to happen? It is a new potion where Slughorn strictly stated, that if not done correctly it can have catastrophic consequences. You never finished the incantation and at the same time you wished to fix Granger’s potions but Slughorn never stated that more than one wish could be used…” Theo held up a hand and tilted his head to the side to keep Draco from interrupting him. “Are you absolutely sure you don’t like her? Because the Draco I know wouldn’t wish that if he didn’t like someone.”

Draco stood up with his finger pointed upwards as he processed everything in his head.

“I am going to ignore that last question, but…I think you may be on to something. Wait, you believe me now?”

“It’s a little hard not to after what you just told me. My only question now is…why didn’t the day reset when you passed out this morning?”

‘That’s a good question’

“I-I have no idea. Maybe it only resets if I get knocked out?”

“So Granger is strong enough to knock you out?” he chuckled, but quickly wiped the grin off his face when Draco gave him a sour expression. “Okay well um, we are definitely going to have to test that theory but uh Draco…I’ve seen it happen on that muggle telly before, and I know that every time the person who is experiencing a time loop has to figure out what it is they need to fix, and I am only assuming its Granger’s potion but…” he trailed off.

“But what?”

“What happens if you are accidentally killed?”

“What do you mean accidentally?” he narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“Well, in the movies, the day either resets by the clock hitting 12:01am or…or the person dies and comes back…”

Standing frozen in front of the couch, Draco’s breathing started to become heavier. He didn’t want to die, nor did he want to test something that serious. He figured if he really was stuck reliving the same day, he could find out what he could and couldn’t get away with but death…that was too morbid to even think about.

“HOW THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU DO IT, MALFOY!” Ron shouted as the group of remaining eighth years, plus Ginny, walked in angrily behind him as they returned from class.

Theo threw his bucket in the air as he stood up in surprise, causing popcorn to fly all over the place; scattering across the flush gray rug.

“Weasley! Merlin’s Beard, you can’t just go shouting at people! I lost half my snack thanks to you!”

“I don’t give a shite about your damn snack Nott, I want to know how Malfoy managed to fuck with Hermione’s potion!”

‘Of course, he would accuse me. Fucking dolt; blame the one person he knows people will instantly agree with.’

The group began to chime in with insults and opinions of their own as Ginny slipped past everyone with Hermione in tow up to the brunette’s room.

“Oh, my bleeding hell -SHUT UP!” Draco hollered causing everyone to instantly grow quiet. “I can’t do this again! If I hear ‘Granger’s potion’ one more time, I am going to lose my fucking shite!”

“Again?” Blaise asked from the back of the group.

“Draco, I think you need to tell them-” Theo suggested but Draco quickly cut him off

“No!”

“But they could possibly help.”

“Help what?” Harry questioned as he took a step forward.

“I don’t have time for this bickering” Sadie, the female Hufflepuff, claimed with an eye roll. “I’m going to go check on Hermione and Ginny” she began walking towards the set of stairs before turning around and shaking her head “Boys” she scoffed. “Are you coming Parkinson, Brown, or do you plan to stay down here while the boys debate who is manlier?”

“Brown went to the library to grab a book for her costume” Pansy stated with her arms crossed “and I am pretty sure Granger doesn’t want me in her room.”

Blaise leaned over and whispered into Pansy’s ear causing her to let out a deep sigh and roll her eyes. Unwillingly, she marched over to Sadie and the two girls began to walk up the stairs. Draco sat down on the couch as Neville, Harry, Ron, Blaise, Bradley and Theo took the remaining seats around him.

“Where’s Terry?” Harry asked as he leaned back on the couch next to Bradley.

“Uh, he um, he went to see Madam Pomphrey, said he had a headache that wouldn’t go away.” Neville replied, but Draco noticed the uneasiness resting in the wrinkles on his forehead.

“Let’s not try and change the subject here” Ron cut in bitterly “Malfoy was just about to tell us how he caused Hermione to fail the Potions exam.”

“Give it a rest Ron” Harry stated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Malfoy had no way of being in that room and you’re only accusing him because you still resent him. Everyone else only followed your lead because they thought they would see a fight, which didn’t happen…. We have all moved on mate, why can’t you?”

“I have moved on! But that doesn’t mean he isn’t still a snake that needs its face smashed in!”

“This is the third time” Draco mumbled under his breath. “Why do you keep blaming me? Like Potter said, I wasn’t even there! I have no reason to mess with Granger; she has been nothing but nice to me and I…I’ve been nothing but an arse to her. That doesn’t mean I would go out of my way to destroy her education!”

“Hold up” Blaise held up a hand and bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Third time?”

“What?”

“You said this is the third time he has accused you of this” Blaise repeated.

“That’s…” Theo chimed in “That’s what I said he should tell you.”

The five boys turned their heads to Draco who looked up at them with worn eyes. He thought heavily on not telling the group, who would most likely just laugh at him and find more ways to antagonize him, Blaise excluded, but not telling them would mean he would have to suffer the rest of the day trying to ignore the irritating wave of questions and stares. Then again, if he was correct and he was stuck in a time loop, they wouldn’t remember him saying anything tomorrow anyway.

“They won’t believe me, Theo”

“I think you underestimate us” Bradley added “I’m all for helping, after all it is what Hufflepuff’s do. And if we are being completely open and honest, I only ignore you because Sadie doesn’t like you very much. She should have been sorted into Ravenclaw but apparently her ‘kindness’ trait out shined her wisdom…Except her kindness only goes so far when it comes to you. No offence.”

“None taken” Draco waved a hand before gliding back into his seat. “But you’re all going to think I’m mad.”

“We already do” Neville chuckled nervously “Sorry…It’s true though.”

“Okay enough Malfoy bashing” Harry claimed leaning forward. “Tell us what is going on. Why did you freak out this morning?”

Draco let out a deep groan as he reached his hands up and placed them behind his head.

“This doesn’t make us friends, Potter.”

“Look, Malfoy, you can either tell us so we can try and help you or you can suffer in your own misery; I am fine either way. But personally, I would like to help if I can, so spill.”

“Alright fine, but if any of you so much as judges me out loud, I will personally see to it that you won’t be able to shite for a week…Got it?”

The group nodded their heads in understanding as they waited in anticipation. Draco began retelling the last two days once again, but left out certain parts that he knew were too personal to reveal. He had to retain from laughing on numerous occasion due to the shocked expressions written on the faces of the men before him, and somehow through the course of his explanation Theo had managed to make more popcorn that he shared with the rest of the group. 

“So wait,” Harry held up a finger “you mean that we all say and do the same thing every day but don’t remember?”

“I just said that, weren’t you listening?”

“No, I was…I’m just trying to process it all.”

“Hold on a sec” Neville began “if what you are saying is true…then technically you could do whatever you want.”

“What do you mean?” Bradley questioned with an arm outstretched behind him. “The day is just going to reset, nothing he does will have any impact.”

“But it will” Blaise added as he stood up and walked behind the couch. He leaned over the back behind Draco while caressing his finger and thumb against his jaw. “Think about it. Yes, he can basically do whatever he wants and get away with it, but he can also learn new information each time. Only he remembers what happens so it’s logical that only he can figure out who really ruined Granger’s exam.”

“Problem is,” Theo exclaimed “we don’t know if this is a fluke or not. For all we know he could wake up tomorrow and it could actually be tomorrow.”

“You people are really buying all this?” Ron stood up in frustration. “This is Malfoy we are talking about, one of the best liars in this school!”

“I appreciate the compliment Weasley” Draco smirked “but let’s be real, it doesn’t matter what you think. I have no reason to lie about something like this. It’s not like it will get me anywhere anyway. Tomorrow you won’t even remember I told you anything, and all you’re going to do is just accuse me again and again, until I solve the mystery behind all of this.”

“And what if you never solve it, hmm?” Ron crossed his arms and glared at the Slytherin Prince.

“Then I guess I am doomed to be stuck in this never-ending paradox; but seriously, have you met me? I am just as intelligent as Granger, I’m sure I can figure it out.”

“So, what happens if you die? Or if one of us dies and the day doesn’t reset?” Harry asked as he ran his fingers through his short black hair. “I mean we would stay dead right? But what if you die instead of being knocked out…Would you still come back?”

“Why does everyone keep asking about if I die? I haven’t yet, and I don’t think anything that happens today will cause my death…Unless Weasley here plans to kill me in some way.”

“That can be arranged” Ron scowled.

“Accidents happen all the time” Neville claimed, ignoring the red-headed Gryffindor. “I tripped once a few years ago when I was on my way to Herbology and almost cracked my head open. Pomphrey said it was a close call.”

“So? You’re clumsy, a-and you tripping has nothing to do with me or my predicament.”

“All I am saying, for all we know the time Harry stupefied you, you could have easily died when your head hit the wall instead of being knocked out. You said it yourself, you felt something snap before blacking out, who’s to say you didn’t break your neck?”

“He has a point” Theo added “But I would rather not try and test the death theory.”

“Though we can test the reset hypothesis” Bradley shrugged.

“How?” Blaise asked as he leaned further forward and rested his elbows on the back of the black couch.

“Easy,” Bradley stood up and put his hands in his pockets before letting out a small sigh “we have to knock Malfoy out.”

“Knock me out? You want to knock me out?” Draco asked incredulously.

“Well that’s how they do it in the movies. If it works, you’ll wake up tomorrow…today…and only you will know any of this happened. If it doesn’t work, then we know you are either lying or there really is a flaw in the system and you simply just had a really strong case of Déjà vu.”

“But we won’t remember anything if he resets. How will we know it worked?” Harry asked looking up at the Hufflepuff.

“If I may,” Blaise held up a finger as he straightened his posture “someone needs to tell Draco something only they know. Obviously not a Slytherin because then none of you will believe him. If he remembers and then tells us, we can confirm that he is in fact telling the truth.”

“I’m not telling him a bloody thing!” Ron cut in rudely. “For all we know he will use whatever information he gets against us!”

“Trust me Weasley, I already know everything about you. There is nothing you could say that will come as much of a surprise.” Draco stated as he leaned back and crossed his arms with a condescending grin widening across his lips.

“You lying prat!”

“Don’t believe me? Alright, I know that you’re not really in love with your girlfriend. She clings to you like a lost puppy and you try to tolerate it, but deep inside you’re screaming for your own personal space. You wish she would stop being so tenacious about you and in reality she most likely is using you the same way you’re using her.”

“You’re wrong! You don’t know anything about my relationship you git!”

“Really? So, you both aren’t using each other to get back at Granger in some way?”

“Wha-” Ron’s cheeks flushed as his brow line creased.

“Oh please, anyone with eyes can see that you are still angry with Granger for breaking up with you over the summer. While Brown still resents her for the ‘stunt’ she pulled in sixth year when I accidently poisoned you…Apologies by way, that wasn’t meant for you.”

“Why you little-”

Ron took a step forward in the act of wanting to strike Draco, however Harry stood up, held out an arm, and stopped him in his tracks.

“Okay, we get it! No need to knock him out before anyone told him anything. Otherwise it defeats the whole purpose.” Ron breathed angrily through his nose as he continued to scowl at Draco who was smirking happily in his seat. “Sit down Ron! And you Malfoy, you know bringing up the past gets him riled up, so stop provoking him!”

“He started it!” Draco claimed holding a palm upwards. “He asked for the truth, I gave it to him, he couldn’t handle it; not my problem.” He leaned forward and rested both elbows on his knees as he placed his bottom lip against the side of his forefinger.

“Guys enough” Bradley implored. “Can we for once, just not fight? We are adults now, let’s freaking act like it!”

“Adults fight” Ron interjected.

“Oh Weasley, grow up!” Theo exacerbated “We aren’t kids, we aren’t in a war, and we can finally all just relax with each other! Why do you always have to be the one to ruin shite for others?”

Flicking his left finger forward in agreeance, Draco looked to Ron with slightly beseeching eyes, hoping he would just stop trying to argue with him; but of course, the red-head had to get the last word in.

“Oh my God, ENOUGH” Harry shouted in irritation “There are more things in life to worry about than to listen to you all fighting about non-sense! Get the fuck over yourself Ron! Either help out or go up to your room, I am sick of hearing you complain about things that are a waste of energy!” Draco let off a smile of amusement before Harry continued “Let’s move on…now, someone needs to tell Malfoy a secret, that isn’t Ron or a Slytherin, so if we could all just shut up and figure out who is-”

“Harry” a small voice said from above them, interrupting the argument.

The group looked up and saw Hermione standing at the railing outside her room. Draco studied her tear stained face and every thought of wanting to help her came rushing back to his mind. He had no idea how to rationalize the notion occurring in his brain, but for some odd reason, he just wanted to hold her.

Quickly turning his eyes away from her, he rocked the balls of his feet against the floor as he tried to remove the idea of comforting Hermione from his head.

“Mione” Harry stood up in surprise and turned his body to fully face her. “Everything okay?”

“Can I speak to you for a moment?” she asked softly before bowing her head and moved to stand in front of his room three doors down.

“Yeah, I’ll be right up, give me just a seco-”

“Now please” she demanded gently.

Harry looked around the common room in confusion before shrugging his shoulders and made his way to the stairs. The group watched the pair disappear into Harry’s room and as the door closed with a click behind them the boys looked at each other with perplexed expressions. After a few minutes of awkward silence Harry and Hermione emerged from his room with suspicion radiating their features. Harry slowly walked down the stairs shaking his head, and made his way over to the couches before stopping at the coffee table, and looked to Draco.

“Uh so ehem, Malfoy…Hermione has requested that I tell you the secret.”

“She knows about this?” Draco stood up in anger. “What, has she been secretly spying on this whole conversation?”

“No!” Harry defended quickly. “She only heard some of the conversation. Besides it wouldn’t matter if she did, she deserves to know what is going on since this whole thing is about her. Now, can you please come upstairs?”

Pressing his tongue against his cheek in annoyance, Draco exhaled slowly through his nose and waved a hand to usher Harry up the stairs.

“Okay…So first things first, Malfoy. Whatever happens tomorrow I need to you take this seriously. Pay attention to everything. You have to find out everything you can and make sure the one responsible for tampering with my best friend’s potion goes down.”

“Yeah whatever, I want them held responsible just as much as you. Obviously for different reasons, but either way I will figure it out. So, what is this secret Granger wants you to tell me?” he questioned as he looked around the bedroom obviously decorated for a Gryffindor.

“Well…it’s complicated” Harry stated as he shut the door.

‘Salazar, if I wanted to hear bullshite I would have stayed down stairs and listened to Weasley talk about how much he loves his girlfriend’

“I don’t have time for complicated, Potter. I have bigger problems to deal with; like how you all plan to knock me out. Which I am not actually thrilled about by the way and I am still debating on if any of this is even a good idea.”

“You don’t really have a choice in the matter anymore.”

“Like I’ve ever been given a choice before?” he scoffed as he crossed his arms in front of him.

“You chose to torment and bully us for years with absolutely no problem, what did you expect?” Harry shrugged before moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

‘I hate that he’s right.’

“Forget it, just…What is Granger’s secret and why couldn’t she just tell me herself?”

“Because you never listen to her, let alone let her speak.”

“True” he agreed. “Alright, go on” Draco waved a hand for him to continue and Harry let out a sigh before opening his mouth to speak.

“Mione…Hermione, knows you didn’t destroy her potion.”

“That’s common knowledge that I learnt the first time I lived through this day. Tell me something a little more undisclosed.”

“Okay, she knows you didn’t ruin her potion…because she was watching you.”

“That’s not creepy or anything. Stalker much?”

‘She doesn’t trust me enough to not watch my every move? Typical.’

“I swear sometimes you can be so thick and oblivious to things around you. Honestly, if you are going to get through the universe screwing you over, you need to pay attention to your surroundings more.”

“Just spit it out, Potter!”

“She likes you, you prat!” Draco’s stomach dropped as Harry huffed through his nose and rolled his eyes at him. His heart began to beat faster for absolutely no reason, while his palms started to feel clammy, and his breath caught in his throat. “And I don’t mean she likes you as a friend, I mean she likes you, likes you. And don’t ask me why because I still don’t fully understand what she sees in you, but apparently you have done something right for her to go from hating your guts for the first five years to being protectively smitten by you.”

‘She likes me? But why, how…when did this even happen? Why did I never notice? Is that why she is always trying to be nice to me? Wait he said first five years; she didn’t hate me during the one year she should have the most?’

“Five years?” Draco finally spoke after his brain stopped rattling.

“Yes five.”

“What about sixth year?” he asked more intrigued, but was careful not to show eagerness; of course he was flabbergasted though at the idea of being elated about someone other than Pansy fancying him.

‘Why is my stomach tingling?’

“I’m not going further into this. It is sooo not my place. She just didn’t know how to tell you because you wouldn’t give her the time of day.” Harry stood up and walked to the entrance of his bedroom. Sucking in a breath he turned around and placed his hands in his pockets. “Listen, Malfoy-regardless if I remember telling you or not, you will remember. I know you are going through some things mentally, that none of us have really helped you with, but understand this…We all went through the same war, we all faced the same struggles, and we are all still trying to stand on our own two feet again. You’re not alone…but if anyone can help you battle your demons, its Hermione. And not that you have a choice in the matter, but you really couldn’t pick a better person to fancy you...Just…she means the world to me, Malfoy, and next to Ron, who doesn’t know any of this, she is the only family I have left. Regardless if you like her or not in return…please don’t hurt her anymore.”

With that said Harry turned around and walked out the door, leaving a stunned speechless Draco, still in his pajamas, alone and confused. He had no idea what to do or even how to process everything Harry had just told him. He could handle finding out juicy gossip about any of the people he lived with, including the Hufflepuff’s and their low-key sexual escapades, but Hermione crushing on him…that was more than he could manage.

He thought she was just trying to get information out of him or just wanted to be his friend out of pity; not because she had some strange Dark Triad infatuation. He was manipulative, greedy, and narcissistic, hell, a condescending jerk with no redeeming qualities was probably the best way his classmates described him. He was always the worst towards her growing up so what could Hermione possibly see in him, that no one else did?

Where was he supposed to go with this information? How was he supposed to talk to Hermione now knowing how she feels? Was it possible he could like her too? There must be some sort of chance if he was even thinking about conceivably reciprocating any sort of affection towards the Gryffindor Golden Girl, right? Too many questions raced through his mind at lightning speed causing a headache to form in his temples but his thoughts quickly ceased when Theo poked his head in the room.

“Hey? The guys are waiting for y-are you okay?”

Draco snapped his head up with confusion etched across his face, but quickly shook the expression from his features.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get this shite done and over with.”

“Okay…Draco are you sure you’re good? You look like you were just told your cat died.”

“I don’t have a cat!”

“You know what I mean” Theo stated as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other while still holding onto the door knob.

“It doesn’t matter what you mean” Draco stated coldly “I just want this day done and over with already.”

“Uh okay, you don’t need to get snappy. I don’t know what the hell Potter told you, but don’t take your shite out on me. I haven’t done anything to deserve your attitude.”

“Whatever.” Draco snapped, as he pushed past his friend, and made his way downstairs. “Okay so how are we doing this?” he asked now standing in the middle of the group.

They had moved the coffee table out of the way and pushed the couches back some, giving everyone space to form a ring around the Slytherin Prince. Draco felt a bit claustrophobic with the closeness of his peers however nervous was out of the vocabulary. If he really wanted to, he could take the whole lot of them down in an instant thanks to the Dark Load and the training he provided, but what would be the point? He wouldn’t gain anything by hurting anyone, then again, no one would remember.

“Well we all came up with a pl-” Harry began but before he could finish his sentence Ron stepped up to Draco and jabbed him square in the lip.

Stumbling backwards, Draco held his jaw with his left hand as he regained his footing.

‘Bloody hell!’

“WHAT THE FUCK WEASLEY?” he yelled as he glared up at Ron. He touched his bottom lip and looked down at the blood on tip of his middle two fingers. “WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

“Merlin Ronald! You weren’t supposed to just hit him like that!” Harry cut in as he hurried over to Draco to look at his wound, but Draco quickly shoved him off and began rushing at Ron.

“I will kill you, you fucking Weasel!”

“Whoa!” Theo interrupted while stepping in to hold the blonde back. “Calm down mate!”

“I thought catching him off guard would make it hurt less!” Ron claimed holding his hands up in defense “he was supposed black out!”

“Black out?” Draco questioned in anger. “You stupid oaf! I told you this last time and I will gladly say it again-Granger hits harder than you, you weak little shite! If you plan to try and knock me out, grab her and have her do it! At least she can throw a decent punch!”

“Oh, for the love of…” Blaise mumbled with an eye roll.

Quickly uncrossing his arms, Blaise walked up to Draco who looked at him oddly, wound his arm back, and swiftly punched him straight in nose causing him to fall backwards and crash to the floor as the world around him went pitch black.


	4. Pay Attention- Part 1

Chapter 4- Pay Attention- Part 1

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:20am

Sprawled out on his stomach, Draco let out a loud painful groan as he lifted his head off his pillow. Glancing over at the end table, he readjusted himself and picked up the clock. Releasing another grumble, he discarded the device on the floor as he dropped his head back down in disappointment.

“Draco!” Theo bellowed from the entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!”

‘Here we go…just go with the flow, Draco. Learn everything you can and make sure you watch Brown at all costs! Also punch Weasley if you get the chance; that bastard needs to be taught a lesson.’

“I’m coming!” he answered. “And yes, I know Pansy wants to go over costumes. I’ll be down in a minute, so tell her to quit nagging.”

“Oh…Perfect! I’ll be sure to let her know.”

Following his normal routine, Draco stood up and got ready for the day. Shrugging his shoulders, he sucked in a deep breath and prepared himself mentally before walking away from the mirror and opened the door.

“Draco!” Pansy called out. “Took you long enough, we were beginning to think you died up there.”

“Nope, perfectly fine.”

He went to take a step down the stairs when he remembered Hermione was about to run into him. Knowing full well he should try and avoid being rammed by her for the third time, he for some reason didn’t want to move. Right on cue, Hermione emerged from her bedroom and without looking up, bumped right into him.

She almost dropped her books, but Draco reached out and caught one that escaped her grasp. Handing it back to her, she glanced up at him with a perplexed expression as she slowly took the book from his hand.

“Uh…Thank…you?” she said speculatively with a raised brow.

“Whatever Granger, just watch where you’re going next time.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t-”

Draco held up a hand as he studied the smooth skin around her face. For the first time, he noticed the light freckles cascading across one cheek, over the bridge of her nose, and coming to rest on the other. He had never noticed the tiny details of her features before or the small golden flecks floating carefree in her dark brown eyes, but he couldn’t help but think of how beautiful they were up close.

“Are you alright?” Hermione asked interrupting his thoughts. “You’re staring at me…very oddly.”

“I’m fine…just…be more careful.”

Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Draco quickly turned away and made his way down the stairs. Sitting on the couch he sucked in a breath and prepared for what was about to happen next.

“Oh, enough with the self-loathing” Pansy stated as she cuddled up next to Blaise. “It’s two days until Halloween and tonight is the Ball. Would it kill you to at least act happier?”

‘And here…we…go.’

Draco sat quietly through the same conversation he had experienced the first day trying to pay attention to every little detail; though he was quickly growing bored and agitated with the people who were trying to help him not too long ago, talking about him like he wasn’t even there. His eyes also seemed all to willingly to drift to the brunette bookworm sitting alone at the desk ahead of him, delicately writing notes on a scroll of parchment.

‘Do I like her? No, of course not. If you did you wouldn’t be questioning it right now. So why can’t I look away from her?’

“Bullocks” Theo stated in disgust.

‘Is that why Theo kept asking me if I think she’s hot? I thought it was just because he wanted to get a rise out of me. Does he know what Potter knows?’

“That’s because he has been through a lot” Pansy claimed in a huff.

‘How could he though? It’s not like Granger is friends with him. She wouldn’t just voluntarily admit to my best mate that she is crushing on Slytherin’s most eligible bachelor.’

“Have you ever thought that it is us who tolerates you, Brown?” Blaise interjected.

‘Maybe he overheard Granger and Potter talking? Wouldn’t be the strangest thing he has ever eavesdropped on.’

“I’m sorry, who are you two again?” Pansy questioned with a raised brow as she pointed a finger off to the side.

‘I guess I could possibly try and be nicer to her, like I was when I gave her that book back, but there is no chance I could like Granger like that. She’s muggle-born for crying out loud!’

“Bradley…I’m Bradley Stoll…and this is Sadie Cornwell…We have only been going to school with you since first year Pansy.”

‘And even if she does fancy me, there is a big difference between the idea of being with someone and actually being with that person. Granger might think she has feelings for me, but they can’t really be real. She doesn’t actually know me or the things I have done in my life. Picking on her since she was eleven is nothing compared to the monstrous deeds I have achieved under the Dark Lords regime. There is absolutely no way, in Salazar’s name, she could possibly want the true Draco Malfoy.’

“Here’s an idea, how about you stop speaking about Malfoy like he’s not sitting right there listening to everything you are saying about him behind his back…in front of his face.” Hermione declared in agitation; cutting Draco’s rambling thoughts off completely “We have Potions today so why don’t we stop complaining about Malfoy being a somber ponce and instead focus on passing this month’s exam?” she continued. “We have one class today, thanks to the ball; I think your time would be better suited studying for it instead of slumming it on the couch complaining about who talks to who.”

“Alright, geez Mione, we get it…We’ll stop.” Ron claimed softly.

Hermione scoffed in irritation before quickly packing up her things and exiting the room. Draco let the rest of the conversation play out and exactly as the first time, Lavender expelled her virgin joke and Harry Potter once again yelled at her before following his best friend out of the portrait.

“Well…that was unexpected” Theo claimed patting his thighs before standing up. “I think I’ll grab my books before heading down to breakfast.”

“What did we miss?” Terry asked pleasantly as he and Neville walked down the stairs playfully shoving each other.

Biting his lower lip, Draco’s eyes wandered back and forth before he stood up and made his way to the door. As he began to open the portrait however, he caught part of the conversation he had missed the last time when he left the common room in a hurry.

“Why do you keep bringing up Granger being a virgin, Brown?” Pansy asked as she removed herself from the couch and flattened out the wrinkles in her robes. “It’s not like it’s a huge deal that she hasn’t had sex yet. You were once a virgin. It doesn’t make you cool or popular just because you decided to pop your cherry before her.”

‘Pansy is defending Granger? This really is a paradox.’

“And last I heard,” Blaise added while taking the hand of his girlfriend “you never actually accomplished the deed yet. So, if we are being technical here, you’re making fun of yourself as well.”

‘Blaise too; what the actual fuck?’

“Oh shite!” Pansy giggled into her free hand. “You’re trying to compensate for your own lack of self-worth. Pathetic really…not even the ginger wants to venture down there.”

“Shut your mouth Parkinson!” Ron defended angrily. “You don’t know anything about our relationship so keep your pug nose out of it!”

“Oh! Well someone is a bit sour he can’t get into his girl’s knickers” Pansy fake pouted. “Maybe that werewolf bite did more than give you an appetite for red meat Lav-Lav. Bit too hairy down there for his taste?” she chuckled before walking away with Blaise smirking behind her.

‘Shite, I need to leave.’

Stepping out the portrait quickly, Draco ignored the prairie woman yelling about being slammed again, and began walking down the hall, but stopped when he heard Theo calling out for him.

“Wait up!” he shouted, making Draco turn around to greet his friend running to catch up to him. “What is with you today?” he asked falling into step with Draco. “You seem especially off this morning.”

“I would say you wouldn’t believe me, however it turns out I have been able to convince you twice now, so it shouldn’t be too hard a third time. Especially since I can now prove it to you.”

“Convince me…Of what?” Theo questioned while furrowing his brows in confusion. “Am I missing something?”

“Oh, you have no idea” Draco chuckled. “Before I explain though, I want to watch Weasley face plant as he rushes to get to breakfast.”

“Face pl-OH DAMN! Ha!” Theo laughed as he watched Ron try and pick himself back up off the floor. “Wait, how did you know he was going to trip?”

“Same way I know that Weaslette is going to yell at some underclassman as soon as we turn this corner.”

“What, are you trying your hand at being a seer now?” Theo asked as they rounded the corner and witnessed Ginny yelling at a few younger students. “Okay, well that was obvious. She yells at anyone who gets in her way. Wait, what are we doing right now?”

“I’m proving to you that I am stuck in a time loop” he shrugged.

“A time loop? Draco that’s imp-”

“Impossible? Why because it only happens in sci-fi movies? Yeah, you said that last time too…”

“What last time?”

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll fill you in later. Let’s keep going…See that Ravenclaw over there?”

Theo shook his head in bewilderment as he tried to keep up with Draco’s sudden change in demeanor.

“The one yelling at her boyfriend? Okay, yeah…What about her?”

“She is going to smack him…in three…two…one.”

Right on cue, the Ravenclaw girl smacked her boyfriend across the face leaving a resonating sound echoing through the corridor.

“What the fu-”

“And let’s not forget the loose Snitch flying around that Potter is going to catch before he pockets it and then walks into the Great Hall.”

Just as Draco finished his sentence, a golden Snitch zoomed between the boys’ heads and flew around the school’s hallway. Harry jumped in the air catching the snitch before looking around for the culprit to no avail. He then pocketed the ball with a head shake before moving to enter the Dining area.

“Is this a prank? You’re messing with me, aren’t you? How the hell did you know any of that was going to happen?”

“I told you already. I have already lived through this day; four times now actually.”

The boys entered the Great Hall and made their way over to the Slytherin table. Taking their seats Draco looked around the room as he patiently waited for Lavender Brown to arrive.

“Four times? How did this even happen? This shouldn’t be possible!”

“Well it is” Draco replied with a sigh “And I have no idea how it happened…Well actually, I have somewhat of an idea, though I haven’t been able to prove it yet.”

“What are you staring at?” Theo questioned as he glanced back and forth between Draco and the Gryffindor table.

“Potter”

“Uhhhh…Why?”

“Because he told me a secret to prove I was telling the truth and I am trying to think of a way to get him alone to tell him.”

“So why not tell him through your thoughts? Wait why am I going along with this? This is mental!”

“You’re damn right it’s mental! But it’s happening and I have to find a way to stop it. Also, I already tried using Legilimens; apparently he has finally learned to block out unwanted thoughts.”

“Oh-kay…I am only playing along because I am mildly curious…What secret did he tell you?”

“If I told you then it wouldn’t be a secret-Dammit where is he going?” Draco asked as he watched Harry stand up and walk to the overly large grand doors.

Removing himself from the table quickly, Draco marched passed the younger Slytherin students to follow the Raven-haired Gryffindor. However, he only managed to get halfway down the never-ending length of the table when he suddenly stopped. Theo crashed into his back which caused Draco to promptly turn around and eye his friend skeptically before setting his gaze back to Harry Potter, who was now hugging Ginny in the doorway. But through her happy smile, Draco could see the facade for what it really was. Her eyes held nothing but sadness and worry, emotions he knew all too well.

‘But why did she seem so sad?...And why the hell do you even care?’

“Draco” Pansy cheerfully grinned, drawing his thoughts away from the duo. “Where are you going?”

“I uh” his gaze darted from Pansy’s green eyes to Hermione walking into breakfast holding a stack of books to her chest.

“Earth to Draco!” Pansy snapped her fingers in his face.

“I-ehem, I-I forgot something in the common room. I’ll be back later.”

Draco rushed out of the Great Hall with Theo hot on his trail. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he knew he needed to get out of that room.

“Hey! Would you stop!” Theo clamored, forcing Draco to whip his body around and place his hands on top of his head. “What the bloody hell just happened in there?”

“I-I am so fucking confused right now!”

“Mate, you just went from a two to a ten, in like sixty seconds! You need to start talking. Tell me what happened.”

“Fucking Scarhead Potter happened!”

Theo crossed his arms in front of him while uncertainty washed over his face.

“Care to elaborate a little more? If you haven’t been paying attention, Potter has always happened, ever since first year.”

Draco let out a loud groan as he threw his head back in frustration and wiped his hands down his face. Looking around he spotted an empty classroom and quickly dragged Theo into it.

“Blimey mate! What the hell has gotten into you! Look I get you’re going through some things I can’t exactly explain, but there is no need to man-handle me like I’m one of your bitches! If you wanted to get me alone in a room, all you had to do was ask” he winked mischievously.

“Knock it off Theo! I am a virgin, with no bitches, and I most certainly DO NOT roll that way!”

“Whoa! It was a simple joke. Once upon a time you used to laugh at them- wait you’re a virgin…aaand now you’re going to hex me. Great.” Theo rubbed his left brow with his fingers as he took a seat on top of one of the desks in the back of the room while mumbling to himself aloud. “Do a simple joke and suddenly he thinks everyone wants him. Hi I’m Draco Malfoy and I am the best thing that will ever happen to you. I may not know what I’m doing in bed but who cares; I’m a blonde God with thick abs and a high IQ” he mocked.

“Granger likes me” Draco cut in quickly after he finished putting up a silencing charm around the room. “And for the record, I don’t sound like that!”

“Could have fooled me…How the hell do you know she likes you? Just because she defended you earlier doesn’t automatically mean she likes you.”

“That was the secret you thick tosser! Potter told me she fancies me and now I can’t even look at her the same way! And with this stupid time-loop shite on top of it, I legit am losing my damn mind!”

“Okay slow down. How do you know you can even believe Potter is telling you the truth and didn’t just make something up because he didn’t want to tell you a real secret?”

“Granger told him to tell me.”

“Right,” Theo let out a small laugh “cause Granger would just tell Potter to tell you that she fancies you without giving any explanation as to why or even how she came to that conclusion? I mean did you flat out hear her tell him that it was okay to say something to you?”

“Well no, but she asked to speak to him while you all were talking about wanting to knock me out.”

“Why the Bloody Barron would we knock you out…collectively…as a group?”

“It’s a long story that I really don’t want to explain at the moment. Right now, I have a mission to find out who is going to mess with Granger’s exam, and blame me, and I can’t even look at her without…”

“With-out?” Theo inquired him to finish as he leaned his neck forward and pinched his lips together “I can’t help you if you don’t spit it out mate.”

“I-I…I think I might…want to like her?”

“You think…you want to?” Theo let out a loud laugh as he stood up and leaned back against the desk.

“Why the hell are you laughing at me? This isn’t bloody funny!”

“Oh, it’s definitely a knee slapper. Draco Malfoy, ex death-eater, billionaire bachelor, thinks he may want to like Hermione Granger. Oh this is too good! Is this your way of trying to tell me that you and Granger are secretly dating without it being obvious?” 

“Oh, my Gods, this again” Draco uttered in disbelief as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I really need to figure this mess out fast because I cannot take having this same conversation with you over and over again.” Rubbing the heel of his palms against his forehead, he let out a deep breath before seriously looking at his friend. “Granger and I are not dating, we are not sleeping together, and we are not friends. I don’t like her like that, but I think it’s possible…that maybe in some weird screwed up way, I-I could learn to see her as more. Whatever is happening to me is somehow connected to her, which means I have to be around her more than normal to figure it out. And I would have been fine, if Potter hadn’t told me that she was crushing on me!”

“Okay,” Theo shrugged with a small smile plastered on his face “why do you think you want to like her?”

“I-I don’t know. She’s nice” he shrugged a shoulder as he began crossing his arms.

“She’s nice…That’s what you’re going with?”

“Yes…”

“So, not because she’s smart or pretty? Or cause she knows what you are going through and might be the only person who not only understands what it’s like to be an outcast and belittled by our peers, but quite possibly the only one, besides me, who sees you for who you really are? But you’re gonna go with…she’s nice?”

‘He has a point’

“Hold on a second” Draco held up a hand. “Each time I bring up Granger, you seem to try and push me in her direction. It’s like you’re trying to play matchmaker or something…Why?”

“Well uh, I can’t really recall the other times I have apparently tried to push you towards her. But I do know I made a promise that I fully intend to keep.”

“A promise? You made a promise to her?”

“Oh no” Theo held up a hand to stop him “you are not going to make me feel guilty for trying to help her. She helped me study and pass my Charms exam last week so I promised to find a way to get you to let her in. That’s all she wants Draco. As far as I know, she only requested to be your friend. I had no idea she apparently wanted more.”

“Well, how the hell am I supposed to find out?”

“Do you want to? Tell me this mate, if you really didn’t like her already then why is what Potter told you affecting you so much?” Draco began to stumble over his words causing Theo to let off a sigh and soften his features. “Look, the way I see it, we all already thought you two were sleeping together, so if it’s your friends you’re worried about, we don’t actually care anymore. You want to like her, then go ahead and do so…but if you want to find out if Potter is telling the truth, then you have to ask Granger yourself. Talk to her mate. I promise, even for a Gryffindor, she’s worth the friendship at least.”

“I-I can’t just let her in.”

“I know you blame yourself for what happened at the manor. You think not doing anything to protect her is indefensible and if I was anyone else, who didn’t fight for my life during the war, I would tell you that you’re right. However, we all faced the same foes you did so of all people she knows you only did what you had to, to protect your family. You’re scared to let her in, Draco, and rightly so. Being scared is normal. So be afraid…and then do it anyway.”

Without uttering another word, Theo removed himself from the desk, patted Draco on the arm, and walked out the classroom door. Quickly turning on his heels to catch up to his best mate, Draco rushed out the room, but was immediately knocked backwards and found himself sitting on the floor of the hall with books scattered all around him.

“Merlin’s beard, Granger, do you ever watch where you’re going?” he snarled, knowing it was the curly-haired brunette before bothering to look up.

“Oi, you’re the one who came barreling out of an empty classroom for no reason, Malfoy!” Ginny protested while trying to help her friend up. “Maybe it’s you who should watch where you’re going!”

“It’s fine, Gin, neither of us saw the other” Hermione stated while cleaning her books up off the floor. “Not like he wants to be caught dead touching me anyway, ‘You’re lying’ so I’m sure he didn’t do it on purpose.”

“He should be grateful to even be in the same room as you!”

“She should be grateful she didn’t ruin my robes, Weaslette. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want to receive a bill she couldn’t afford if they needed repaired.” He pulled at the collar of his robes with a smug smirk radiating off his lips, but as his ocean eyes met chocolate ones, his smile faded and he had a strong urge to touch her.

‘She has me under a spell! There is no other logical reason for this!’

“Stare much, Malfoy” Ginny stated in annoyance.

“I wouldn’t have to stare if Granger would finally wipe the mud off her face.”

‘Fuck!’

Hermione’s small smile fell causing an aching feeling to stab painfully into Draco’s chest.

‘What the hell is wrong with me? Why the bloody hell would you say that to her, you arse?’

He didn’t mean to hurt her; he just wanted to cover for his mistake. His defensive walls went up as soon as he was caught staring, and the comment just rolled off his tongue before he had any chance to think. It’s not like he wanted to insult her and he felt like an ass about it. He had hoped maybe she would fight back and insult him in return, now wishing he hadn’t taken the bickering so far. Instead Hermione didn’t say a word; she didn’t even open her mouth to speak.

It seemed lately that she had given up on arguing with him, and now that he thought about it, she didn’t really fight with anyone anymore. It was something he always looked forward to throughout the years because she was the only person who could keep up with him. It made him feel needed in some odd way, like he had a reason to get up every morning.

He prayed she would just say something though, so he didn’t feel like a complete dick for the derogatory remark, but Hermione just tucked her chin into her books and walked off with Ginny shaking her head in disappointment.

Dropping his shoulders, Draco watched as the two girls disappeared down the corridor and without a second thought, he cursed himself for being so stupid and kicked the wall in frustration. Sucking in air through his gritted teeth, he released a moan of pain as he bounced lightly on his left foot, before a sudden realization hit him.

‘I need you to take this seriously’ Potter’s voice echoed. ‘Pay attention’

‘Shite, I need to get to the common room.’

10:45am

Silently closing the portrait door leading into the small dark foyer of the common room, Draco peaked around the archway and spotted the two Gryffindor girls talking on one of the couches. He could hear the soft voices as they spoke quietly but couldn’t make out what they were saying clearly.

While thinking of a way to eavesdrop on the conversation, he recalled Theo mentioning to him years ago, to use the amplifying charm on his ears rather than his neck like Dumbledore used to do for speeches. It saved money not that it mattered to him, from either of them being caught dead purchasing anything from the Weasley twin’s joke shop. Though Draco had to admit the shop held some pretty awesome things he purchased anonymously through their magazine. He just wouldn’t tell Theo he did that.

Wordlessly casting the spell, Draco hugged the wall with his back and leaned his right ear closer to the women.

“Oh, Mione, what am I going to do? Harry is going to freak out when he figures out I’m pregnant! I have no idea how to tell him o-or what we’re going to do, or if there’s still going to be an ‘us’ after he finds out.”

‘Weaslette’s pregnant? Great, another Gryffindork will soon be running around finding ways to ruin my life in some manner.’

“Gin, Harry isn’t going to leave you because you’re carrying his baby. He’s not like that and you know it. He’ll be ecstatic about being a father!”

“Godric Mione, we are so young! A-and it was just that one time! I don’t understand how this happened! He wants to be an Auror when he graduates; I am basically ruining any chance he has at landing his dream job!” Hermione giggled softly and Draco could practically feel the smile he couldn’t see, light up the room. “Why are you laughing at me?” Ginny sobbed lightly. “This isn’t funny.”

“Oh Gin, I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because we both know Harry is going to get whatever career he wants without having to graduate. He has enough money to support both you and the baby and I know he will do whatever it takes to make you happy. If it helps, you could stay at home for a bit, while you figure out what to do. It’ll give Harry some time to graduate from the Auror Academy until you’re ready to move forward with your own career. You have an army in your corner and yes, you are both young, but if you think about it we all had to grow up quicker than we liked. No one can fault you because you celebrated a little differently than the rest of us.”

“Ugh, this is just so frustrating! Let’s talk about something else. I need to take my mind off this for now.”

“Okay,” Hermione chuckled as Draco could hear her shifting positions on the couch “what would you like to talk about? And don’t say Lavender with her annoying virgin jokes. I would rather not talk about that or her, if you don’t mind?”

“I wanna talk about what happened with Malfoy earlier.”

‘Here it comes. I knew I went too far!’

“Really Gin? It was no big deal. I know he didn’t mean it…at least not the way he used to. I think he was just trying to goad me into fighting with him. He hasn’t really talked much since the term began. I think he was just trying to feel normal…in a way.”

‘At least she gets it.’

“Mione, I know you like him and all, ‘So she does like me!’ which is still very strange to me, but don’t you think you deserve better than a guy who actively tries to fight with you? I mean the bloke didn’t even apologize.”

‘I didn’t apologize because that’s not what I do!’

“Apologies are not a Malfoy custom, you know that!” Hermione chortled. “Besides, I don’t think it would be right for him to apologize. After all, I was the one who crashed into him twice today and I keep acting like Lavender, pestering him to at least try and be my friend. Bit desperate on my part, don’t you think?”

‘You are nothing like Brown.’

“That is an overstatement. He should be thankful anyone is trying to give him the time of day! And there are so many things I can think of for him to say sorry for, but I refuse to dive into that pool at the moment. Right now, I want to know what you see in him. I still don’t get it; he won’t even look at you. Today was the first day he so much as glanced in your direction since sixth year.”

‘Because I finally noticed her…Time out…What?’

“I don’t know. Ever since sixth year, when I saw how broken he was he became more…I don’t know…human. Like he wasn’t some robot created by his father to torment me for being lesser than himself. He showed fear and guilt…empathy. And he didn’t want to kill Dumbledore and I’m glad he didn’t too…he was lost the whole year and I understood how that felt. Even though I had you, Harry, and Ron, some days I still felt alone…but he didn’t have anyone in his corner like I did…like I do. Since then, the feelings sort of matured.”

“What about when he watched you being tortured on the floor in his manor? He just stood there and watched without bothering to even raise a finger, and yet you still liked him?”

‘No…Please don’t answer that.’

“Well I-”

“Draco!” Theo exclaimed as he entered through the portrait causing Draco to lose his balance in surprise and almost fall to the floor. “Why are you hanging out in th-”

Draco quickly recovered and placed his hand over his friends’ mouth to shut him up while silently praying the girls didn’t hear him. He could play it off like they had just entered the foyer but only if Theo didn’t give away that they weren’t together in the first place. Last thing he wanted was to be caught eavesdropping on a conversation that involved him.

“Did you hear that?” Ginny whispered as she looked towards the foyer.

“I think we should head upstairs” Hermione replied. “Better yet, let’s just study. I want to be fully prepared for this exam in an hour.”

‘Oh, thank Salazar!’

Ginny groaned loudly which caused Theo to raise his brow in confusion while Draco’s hand still covered his mouth.

“Do we have to? I am so over Potions at this point. Charms is more my expertise.”

“That, is exactly why we need to study. You can’t just ‘charm’ your way through life, Gin. You have to at least try and be good at other subjects. After all you need this class if you still plan on becoming a Healer.”

“You suck sometimes, you know that?”

“But you love me anyway.”

Turning his eyes back to Theo, Draco slowly lowered his hand and exhaled in relief before whispering to the dark-haired wizard.

“Meet me in my room. There’s something I need to do first…And don’t ask; I’ll fill you in later.”

After Draco heard the girls leave the room, he bolted up the stairs. He turned right instead of left to get to his dorm, and found himself standing in front of Lavender Browns’ room, four doors down from the top of the stairs.

Sucking in a deep breath, he brought out his wand and pointed it at the door’s handle.

“Whatcha doing?”

Draco jumped in fear as he turned to find Theo standing next to him with his brows raised in interest as a conspiratorial smile spread across his face.

“Dammit Theo! Don't do that!” Draco chastised. “I told you to wait in my room!”

“And miss you breaking in to Lav-Lavs’ bedroom? I don’t think so.” Theo brought out his wand and for a split second, Draco thought he was going to hex him, until he pointed the tip at the handle and whispered ‘Alohamora’.

Cracking a grin at his friend, Draco quickly entered the room and looked around.

“Ewe, why is there so much purple in here?” Theo questioned as he gently closed the door behind him. “It looks like a fairy took a shite all over the place. Merlin, this is something I could see Lovegood doing…but with better taste.” He continued to look around the room before his eyes landed on an object sitting on a chair near the door. “Is that-Oh Gods don’t look Draco! She has a thing for Ferrets!” he announced jokingly as he picked up a stuffed white ferret.

“Why the hell does she have a stuffed Ferret in her room?”

“Maybe she practices snogging it all night…Wait, ewe!” Theo exclaimed, throwing the thing back onto the chair.

“That’s disgusting. Anyway, we’re not here to insult Brown’s dreadful taste…or her weird habits.” Draco stated as he picked up a light purple pillow from the bed.

“Why are we here exactly?” Theo asked while wiping his hand vigorously down his pants.

Draco set the ugly frilled pillow back and rotated his body to face his friend.

“It’s a long story; one I feel I will tell you a thousand times until I sort this all out. But until then, I need to make sure Brown doesn’t make it class.”

“Oh, are we going to murder her? Please tell me I get to watch you Avada that wretched bitch!” Theo exclaimed cheerfully.

“That…is so morbid-No! We’re not going to Avada her! What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Please, it’s not like you were thinking it too” Theo shrugged.

“I wasn’t! I just wanted to put a tracking spell on her room so I know when she enters. My plan is to lock her in here later so she couldn’t make it to Potions!”

“Well that’s boring…If you change your mind, I am sure everyone would thank you in the end.”

“We are not killing her!”

“But we could” Theo held up a finger while smiling.

“There is something seriously wrong with you” Draco stated flatly while staring at his friend in amazement.

“But you love me anyway” Theo mimicked Hermione’s words to Ginny.

Draco rolled his eyes and quickly cast the spell needed to alert him of anyone entering the room before pushing Theo out. They made it to his room just in time to see Lavender, hanging all over Ron, enter the common area.

“What now?” Theo whispered as they both poked their heads around the door and watched as the two Gryffindor’s disgustingly snogged on the couch. “Gross! That’s my spot!”

“Yeah well, I promise to tell you about not sitting there, tomorrow” Draco claimed as he shoved Theo out of the way, closed the door, and waited for the notification from his wand to finish what he had started.

11:43am

“Did your wand chime yet? I’m so bored… and hungry” Theo whined as he threw himself backwards onto the bed full of candy wrappers.

“It’s only been forty-five minutes of you eating every snack in my room. How could you possibly be hungry?”

“I didn’t eat a well-balanced breakfast!” he exclaimed sitting up. “The telly is always saying in those commercials, that whole-grain and fruit help sustain the brains’ thinking and motor functions. And you just threw a shite ton of information at me that I am still trying to process!”

“Do you know how much bacon, sausage, and eggs you eat each morning? You give Weasley a run for his money when it comes to food! I think your brain is functioning perfectly fine without cereal added to the mix” Draco claimed as he threw his hands in the air.

“But…I like cereal…especially the chocolate flaky ones with the cavemen on the box…” Theo pouted, however before he could continue, Draco’s wand vibrated in his pocket as it released a soft chime. “Oh! Whore’s in her room!” he announced as he scrambled off the bed and ran to the door.

Draco pulled out his wand and disarmed the spell before crouching under his friend, who was peering through the small crack he made in the entryway. The boys watched from across the hall in eagerness as Lavenders’ door shut, giving the Slytherin Prince enough time to cast his spells and be done. Though he knew he had to be quick so he wouldn’t be seen by the crowd of eighth years getting ready for class below.

He whispered the incantations to produce a silencing charm, followed by a locking charm before standing up and pocketing his wand.

“What if she takes down those spells?” Theo questioned as he shut the door quietly.

“She can’t, only I can. I put an undetectable signature on the charms, so I’m the only one who can remove them. Well, the only person other than Granger or McGonagall; but they don’t know she’s in there. Besides, it’s temporary; just until class is over and I can prove she’s the one trying to get me in trouble and ruin Granger’s grade.”

“And you say I have problems” Theo mumbled under his breath before adding “We can still Avada her and no one would even know she’s gone.”

“You really don’t like her” Draco crossed his arms as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“I don’t want to talk about it…but yes, I loathe the bitch.”

A soft knock at the door, startled both men causing Theo to clutch his chest in surprise.

“Malfoy?” Hermione’s calm soft voice spoke “It’s-”

“I’ll be down in a minute Granger. I’m just helping Theo go over some last-minute notes” he lied.

He could practically feel her bright smile through the door as he pictured her biting her lower lip like she always did when she was happy. However, Theo’s shocked expression brought him back down to reality.

“Okay! I’ll see you in class then” she finished before walking off.

Theo’s jaw began to widen as he stared at Draco with glee written all over his face.

“What?” Draco demanded in annoyance.

“Jumping Jelly Beans…You’re smitten!”

“No, I’m not!” he claimed walking away from the door to gather his school supplies.

“Yes, you are!”

“No! I’m not!”

“Then why the small smile before she answered you?” Theo asked as he crossed his arms and smirked at him.

“What smile? There was no smile…you’re hallucinating. Maybe we do need to get you some whole-grains and fruit.”

“You may be able to fool everyone else in this school with your lies, Draco, but you can’t fool me. I taught you how to lie.”

“I’m not lying!” Draco threw his bag on the ground and faced his friend. “And no, you didn’t…Just because you helped me lie once in first year does not make you my mentor in the craft.”

“Admit it!”

“Admit what?”

“That you like her! That you fancy the girl you used to call mudblood once upon a time.”

“Don’t call her that!”

“I didn’t call her anything. I am simply stating what you used to call her…Protective much?” Theo chuckled. “I have my proof from your answer, Draco. I may be the class clown, but I know when my mates are in denial about their own feelings.”

“Denial, that’s what you think this, is? I am not in denial about anything! I don’t like her!”

“Except you like that she’s nice…” Theo smirked before turning around and walking out the door; leaving Draco confused and alone just like Harry had left him…yesterday.


	5. Pay Attention- Part 2

Chapter 5- Pay Attention-Part 2

Friday October 29th, 1999 12:05pm

"So, what's the plan again?" Theo asked as he and Draco walked down to Potions class together. "You'll release Brown from her prison-"

"Bedroom" Draco corrected.

"Prison cell…Yes, then what? You don't exactly have proof the horrid woman tampered with your crush's potion."

"Would you stop calling her my crush, I don't have feelings for her!"

"Feelings for who" Blaise questioned as he and Pansy fell into step with the two Slytherin boys.

"No one" Draco answered quickly.

"Draco fancies Granger but is too afraid to admit it" Theo revealed, much to Draco's disappointment.

A surge of anger rushed through Draco's veins and he quickly punched Theo in his right arm as he glared at him with malice.

"Ow! Son of a bitch that hurt" Theo expelled as he held his arm and frowned.

"It was supposed to, you arse!"

"You like Granger?" Pansy asked, obviously intrigued by the turn of events. "Since when?"

"Since this morning" Theo quickly cut in, ignoring the deadly gaze emitting from Draco's silver eyes. "Don't look at me like that. She asked and I answered because you are too chicken to tell your friends, who I said before, wouldn't care."

"Wait," Blaise stopped walking and looked to Draco as if he had just offended him in some way. "You honestly thought that we wouldn't accept Granger? For goodness sake Draco, we are your best friends. We aren't lackeys like Crabbe o-or Goyle. We may have had our difference when Voldemort was in power but that shite is done and over with. We have moved on…Almost everyone thought you were already sleeping with her anyway."

"I agree" Pansy chimed in. "Only thing that annoys me about her now is her need to study all the damn time. That girl always has a book in her hands. Seriously, who reads that much?"

"Time out" Draco claimed holding up a hand while shaking his head. "Even if I did like her, which I don't, you both honestly wouldn't care? What if I end up marrying her or something down the line?"

'Why the hell did I just bring up marriage?'

"Can I help plan it?" Pansy asked with a broad grin. "I love weddings!"

"He's not going to marry her right now, Pans. Give the guy a few years to at least lose his virginity and fall in love" Blaise smirked mischievously.

'Holy Hell…WHAT?'

"You knew he was a virgin?" Theo asked in shock. "Why the fuck did you tell him and not me!" he questioned in outrage as he smacked Draco on the arm.

"I didn't tell him! And I just told you like twenty minutes ago, and yesterday, and the day before that!" Draco claimed, smacking him back before looking to Blaise with a confused expression. "How the hell did you know?"

Blaise smirked while releasing a puff of air through his nose and continued walking.

"I know everything that happens or in this case doesn't happen, in this school. It really wasn't that hard to figure out."

"But," Pansy added "I will let you in on a little secret my dear Draco, once you pop that bubble…you'll never get enough of it" she giggled as she looked to Blaise and winked.

"Oh, gross! I don't wanna hear about your sex life, Pansy!" Theo announced with a disgusted look.

"Why, cause you're not getting any?" she chuckled.

"I don't need to. Nott Junior is getting all the attention he needs right here." He held up his right hand and winked with a large grin plastered on his face.

"Ewe!" the group said aloud as they broke out into laughter.

Draco shoved Theo lightly as they continued to walk down the hall.

"You call your dick Nott Junior?" Blaise snorted loudly.

"Of course! He is just as handsome as me and works twice as hard to achieve satisfaction in life. He deserves to have the honor of bearing my last name!"

"Mate, what the hell?" Draco chortled. "You're not married to it!"

"Might as well be; me and ole Nott Junior here are the only relationship I need in life. Pans, you are more than welcome to plan the wedding. We were thinking Spring…not too hot, not too cold, just th-"

"Shut-up, you nutter!" Blaise exclaimed with a laugh as he pushed Theo's head and ruffled his hair.

"What are you lot so happy about?" Harry asked with a small smile as the group stopped at the door leading into Potions.

"Oh nothing," Blaise began to answer "Theo here was just telling us about how he wants to marry his penis…who he has named Nott Junior."

Harry's smile slowly turned to a frown as his eyes widen in embarrassment.

"That…That picture is now burned into my mind…Thank you, Zabini, for that valuable information I really didn't want to know."

"Anytime mate!" Blaise patted Harry on the back with a small chuckle before walking into the classroom with Pansy.

Harry turned to enter the room but Draco quickly reached out and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hey uh…" he lifted his eyes to Hermione standing behind the raven-haired boy talking to Ginny in a whisper. She hadn't notice him yet and all he saw was the back of her head, but he could tell she was smiling joyfully; a smile he wished she would one day give to him.

'Stop it! What is wrong with you?'

"Do you need something, Malfoy?" Both Harry and Theo looked at him curiously before Harry slowly turned around to follow Draco's gaze. "Are you-"

"I need to have a chat with you later" he quickly cut in. "Alone."

"Hey don't forget me!" Theo chimed in.

"Ohh-kay…Why?" Harry asked as he looked from Theo back to Draco.

"It's a long story."

"You're not going to try and hex me, are you? We already had a duel once remember; I almost killed you. I really would rather not have another go of that day."

"I'm not going to hex you, I promise. I just need to talk and trust me…you want to hear this story."

Harry raised a brow before Draco heard Ginny call out to him.

"I'll be right there Gin. Give me just a sec" he turned back to Draco and sighed. "Okay, I-I'll meet you in your room after class, if that's alright?"

"Sounds good. Oh, and Potter… Just in case, if something happens to Hermione's potion during this exam, I want you believe me when I tell you, it wasn't me. But I have a strong feeling nothing will."

Harry looked to Theo who pinched his lips inwards and shrugged his shoulders.

"What did you do Malfoy?" he asked calmly.

'You don't want to know.'

"Nothing…well something-but I promise it was to stop the mess that is…was…about to happen. Just please tell me you trust me. I know trust is not easy when it comes to you and me, but I swear on Snape's grave everything I did was for a good reason."

'Please believe me.'

"Malfoy, you and your mother both helped save my life during the war. If you're asking me to put my faith in you for something you might or might not have done…then for the first time since I've known you…I will try and give you the benefit of the doubt."

"Thank you"

"Ugh, don't do that. Man, I really thought hearing you finally say those words to me would make me ecstatic, but honestly…it's just made me a little uncomfortable."

"Yeah, it felt odd just saying it."

"Yeeeaahh…I'm gonna head into class now."

"Good idea…Same."

Harry turned to leave but stopped suddenly and looked back and forth between the two Slytherin's.

"You haven't seen Ron by any chance, have you? He was supposed to meet us here ten minutes ago but he hasn't shown up yet."

"No" Draco answered while Theo shook his head. "And if we're continuing to be honest here, I don't usually go out of my way to pay attention to him or his whereabouts, nor will I start doing so."

"Okay…Thanks"

"Yup."

"Well…that was awkward" Theo admitted after Harry walked into the classroom.

"Tell me about it" Draco replied with an eye roll. "I would rather not have that conversation again."

"No..." Theo tilted his head as he looked to be thinking hard about something. "No, I meant the fact that you called Granger by her first name." 'No I didn't…Did I?' "And I'm going to stop you right now from denying that you didn't, cause ya did. There is no need for you to lie about it, I won't say anything…But I'm prreeaaty sure Potter heard you say it too."

'Fuck!'

12:02pm

Taking his seat next to Hermione, Draco tried his best to avoid looking at her or her perfect set up of school supplies in front of her. Instead he focused on reading the board and studying the entire list to see if any of the combined ingredients would have any sort of adverse effect to his current dilemma. He read and reread the whole recipe twice, but couldn't come up with any sort of reason as to why the potion might cause him to repeat the day.

'It has to be the incantations.'

"Good afternoon class" Slughorn chirped happily as he entered the room.

"Afternoon, Professor" a few students replied.

Any other day the action of the class happily replying in unison would annoy Draco to the bitter end, but this time he ignored them as as he waited patiently for his chance to ask a few questions he desperately needed answers to.

"Enthusiastic bunch, aren't you?" Slughorn stated with a sarcastic chuckle. "Alright then…Let's dive right in" he smiled up at everyone before continuing with his mini speech.

"Psst, Draco," Theo whispered, making Draco lean back in his chair to hear his friend better. "Where's Weasley at? Shouldn't he be here to blame you later if this all goes south?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?" Slughorn asked between their conversations.

Something inside Draco flared as a cognizance developed in his mind. He sensed that Theo knew it too because as soon as he turned around, he came face to face with wide brown eyes.

"Holy knickers in a drawer!" Theo whispered in distress. "We locked him in with Brown!"

"Shhh" Hermione demanded as she looked at Theo. "Some of us are trying to pay attention."

"Sorry" Theo muttered quietly as he receded into his chair while shooting Draco a worried look.

"I have to fix this" Draco whispered just before Hermione smacked him in the arm with the back of her hand, forcing his gaze to meet hers. "What?" he asked in irritation.

"Pay…attention"

"No!" She smacked him again making him grab his arm and glare at her. "Ow…Stop hitting me, woman!"

"No! Now pay attention!" she whispered back before looking up to the Professor to continue listening.

Slowly turning back in his chair, Draco strongly wondered why he was even listening to her, let alone not saying anything about her touching him. However, he didn't realize Blaise's eyes never wavered as he watched the two people in front of him…bicker like a couple.

Draco waited until all of Hermione's questions were answered before raising his hand into the air. He really wanted to ask to use the loo so he could release Ron from the room, but instead thought about how he had questions only the creator of the potion could answer; and he really needed to break free of the loop he was stuck in.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Slughorn smiled enthusiastically. "I don't normally see you raising your hand in my class, my what a pleasurable sight to see. How can I help you?"

Draco held back an eye roll while lowering his hand before leaning on the table in front of him.

"Professor, you stated that the potion requires an incantation to extinguish it correct?"

"Yes my dear boy! Repetit Forma!"

"Repetit Forma" he repeated. "I'm a little rusty on my Latin phrases…What does that translate to…exactly?"

"It means, regain your form." Hermione cut in with a smile, causing Draco to briefly look in her direction before quickly turning his attention back to Slughorn.

"And to activate it is desiderio tuo revelare…Is it possible to mess these phrases up by any chance?"

"Well yes, but I am sure for a smart lad like yourself, you will be just fine; especially seeing as you have already said both incantations perfectly."

"Right…So have you ever I don't know, accidentally messed up either phrase and put yourself in let's say…a strange predicament such as a time loop?"

Slughorn chuckled as he shook his head before realizing Draco was completely serious.

"I have had many trial and errors to perfect this potion, Mr. Malfoy. I have of course run into few mishaps, but nothing as extreme as a time loop."

"But they are possible? Time loops that is."

"Well…yes. Anything is possible in the wizarding world if the right pieces are in place."

"So, let's just say, hypothetically, I were to make a second wish shortly after the first, while accidentally saying the phrase wrong, and was thrown into an endless paradox…Would recreating the potion and wishing for things to go back to normal fix the problem?"

"Hypothetically…no. You would have to know what it was you said in the first place to cause the cycle you would be experiencing in order to find a counter-spell. However, knowing the charm is only half the battle and it might not even be necessary. Theoretically, you would most likey have to fulfill the wish to solve the puzzle…Why are you so interested in time loops?"

'Dammit'

"No reason. I saw them on a muggle American show once and they seemed interesting" he lied, hoping the Professor wouldn't call him out on it.

"Ah, American's and their science fiction. They make for great story telling but lack the fundamentals of sheer facts. Though Groundhog Day was brilliantly funny, if I do say so myself. Happened upon it while in hiding at a muggle's house in the spring of…96' I believe, shortly before Mr. Potter here and Professor Dumbledore found me."

"That's great-so is it possible to die in a loop?"

"Heavens no," Slughorn chuckled "at least not that I am aware of."

"Can we get back to the exam please?" Hermione asked in annoyance.

"Of course..." Slughorn continued "let's begin practicing those chants, shall we."

As the class practiced, Draco stayed quiet while surreptitiously watching Hermione. He continued to do so even when she got up to collect her ingredients, though something inside wasn't sitting right with him.

'Hold on a second…Potter said she knew I didn't ruin her potion because she was watching me…How? When did she have time? I never went to class the last two times…unless she was looking for me during both days. But then she must have been watching me the first day; though if she was then why did she blame me and have a go in the common room during the Ball?'

Thinking back, Draco replayed the entire series of events that occurred the first day in his head. He was still unable to understand why Hermione would yell at him as he got up from his seat to collect what was required for the recipe. While standing in the closet of ingredients with Neville, he watched as the clumsy Herbology lover reached up to grab a vile of Goblin's blood when Draco suddenly remembered that he was going to drop it.

Just as he recalled, Neville dropped the glass onto the floor, but Draco didn't laugh this time. This time glancing down at the blood scattered over the stone floor, reminded him of Hermione knocking her elbow into her Nightshade…and it finally hit him.

'Granger didn't continue to blame me after Weasley chimed in…she only blamed me later because it was all a ruse to get close to me. She set me up! She noticed that I was actually speaking to her instead of ignoring her like I normally do, giving her the idea that she finally got me to let my walls down! And of course, she wanted to test how far I was willing to open up which is why she faked being mad at me…!

"Malfoy?" Neville asked anxiously. "Are you alright?"

'Is that why she told Potter it was alright to tell me she liked me; because she wanted to see if I would open up to her? It would explain why she didn't flinch when her lips brushed up against mine…Clever girl…But she knocked me out not long after…'

"Uh, Malfoy?" Neville asked again while waving a hand in front of his face, but Draco just ignored him as he continued to think.

'Was it because of what I said? Did that turn her faux anger into actual outrage? But my words never seemed to affect her before…She was cute when she was angry, oh Merlin and that pirate outfit…'

All of a sudden, Draco's face, which was already pale, went whiter than a ghost as he froze in shock and his eyes stared unseeing at the ground in front of him. He lifted his head to Neville, who was staring at him peculiarly before turning his gaze to Hermione. She was nonchalantly setting her ingredients in a perfect order on their desk and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help but think of how adorable she was.

Taking a step forward as he felt a pull in his chest, Draco completely forgot about the spilled Goblin's blood Neville had dropped moments before. Neville called out to him as he extended an arm to warn him but Draco didn't hear a word he said; he was too focused on the discovery he had just made…a discovery he tried so hard to deny.

'Bloody fucking hell! I…I like Granger…'

Draco quickly turned away from her and smashed directly into the clumsy Gryffindor standing next to him. He tried to gain his footing but his shoes slipped on the blood and he found himself falling backwards. Grabbing a hold of the first thing he could to try and catch himself, he gripped onto it for dear life. Unfortunately for Neville though, it ended up being the front of his robes.

Crashing to the floor, Draco gasped in pain as one of Gryffindor's brave heroes fell on top of him. The students in the room fell silent for a brief moment before bursting into raucous laughter. Neville tried to get up off the Slytherin Prince but his feet glided against the liquid on the floor causing him to fall back down, knocking the wind straight out of Draco lungs.

"Get off me, you dolt!" Draco finally managed to say sharply once he caught his breath.

"Sorry…I'm so sorry!" Neville repeated over and over again.

"For the love of-just roll off me!" he demanded in irritation.

Half the class continued to howl in laughter as Neville rolled off Draco's chest and Professor Slughorn followed by Hermione, Theo, Blaise, Pansy and Harry came rushing over; though only Hermione was able to squeeze her way into the crowded closet.

"Oh dear…" Slughorn stated sadly while shaking his head. "That was the last of the Goblin blood. It's not easy to get you know?"

The group glared in confusion at the Professor, who just continued to click his tongue wistfully at the scene in front of him, while Hermione stepped over the boys on the ground and reached out a hand. Draco was hesitant at first to touch her, but Hermione just frowned slightly…forcing his new found feelings to come barreling back to the forefront of his mind. Not wanting to be any more embarrassed then he already was, he grabbed a hold of her hand and allowed the Gryffindor Princess to help pick him up.

Harry pushed his way through the group and began to help Neville to his feet while Draco surveyed his clothes. Goblin blood was not easy to get out even with the help of charms, and he silently cursed himself for being so careless.

"Are you alright, Mate?" Theo asked from outside the small room.

"I'm fine…" he growled while thrusting his arms downward.

Biting his lower lip in anger, Draco tried his best to hold back insulting the inept prat who soiled his robes before noticing Hermione pull out her wand.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped while staring at her wand.

"Calm down, Malfoy. I'm just going to clean your robes."

He nodded his head once, giving her permission to try and charm the blood he knew would stain, and full well expected her to not be able to do it. However, he ended up watching in awe as Hermione cast a perfect 'tergeo' cleaning his robes completely, and only one thought happened across his mind.

'That smile…Hold up…is she smiling at me? Actually, legitimately smiling…at me; not scowling, no furrowed eyebrows, no emitting hatred resting on her perfect porcelain face…No! Stop it!'

"What are you staring at?" Hermione questioned with a raised brow.

"Nothing, I just uh…Where did you learn to remove Goblin blood?"

"You might be better than me at Potions Malfoy, but I am definitely better at Charms than you."

'You can't like her…'

"If you two are done with-well whatever it is you're doing, can we get back to the exam now?" Sadie asked from the back of the room.

"Yes!" Slughorn exclaimed clapping his hands together. "Let's get back to it then."

Hermione quickly nodded her head as the standing students went back to their seats. Draco watched in reverence as the brunette sat down and began readjusting her ingredients in front of her.

'There is only one way to test this…She won't remember anything tomorrow anyway and if she really does have a thing for me…she'll let me do it.'

Rubbing his left hand on the back of his neck, Draco thought long and hard about his next move.

"Eh ehm…Mr. Malfoy…" Slughorn asserted "If you would be so kind as to grab your ingredients and take a seat please."

"Oh uh…There's no more Goblin's blood sir…I dropped mine when I fell."

Professor Slughorn released a deep sigh as he looked around the room.

"Very well; since you need it to produce this potion, I have no choice but to have you take the exam tomorrow, once I've acquired more in Diagon Alley. Mr. Longbottom, the same goes for you as well…"

"Oh, I managed to collect some already, Professor." Neville declared with a raise of his hand. "I was putting the vial back when it fell."

"Right, okay then…Mr. Malfoy, for the time being you may…I guess…read ahead to next week's lesson. Do not speak or disturb the students around you, please-and take notes. I will review them after class."

'Wonderful'

During the next hour and a half, Draco reluctantly scribbled away on his parchment as he read through his Advanced Potion-Making book. However, over the time period, Hermione managed to once again knock her Nightshade onto the table and across the floor. He ignored her as she cleaned up her mess and went right back to brewing her Potion; though roughly five minutes later, he lifted his head as she pleaded with her potion to not be ruined.

"No! No, no, no, no, no!"

'This isn't right…Brown and Weasley are both locked away! How could this still happen?'

"Psst, Draco!" Theo whispered loudly. "Bloody hell mate, you were wrong!"

"Yeah, I got that!" Draco snapped.

Hermione began to sob silently as she watched the black smoke billow out of her cauldron, but without Ron present during class, Draco noticed he wasn't getting blamed…yet.

"What the hell did you do, Malfoy?" Terry Boot shouted from the other side of the room.

'Not again…Seriously?'

"Nothing! I was minding my own business!" he replied in a huff.

"Sure, you were!" Sadie chimed in. "Couldn't take that she finally beat you in Potions, so you had to go and ruin her exam? Typical" she scoffed. "You go right back to your old ways as soon as someone bests you in anything!"

"NO!" Draco shouted as he stood up in anger. "I am NOT doing this again!"

"Draco…" Theo pleaded.

"No Theo, I am not going down for something I didn't and would never, do!"

"What in tar nation is going on?" Slughorn demanded as he stood at his desk with frustration emanating on his face.

"Malfoy-" Terry began but was quickly cut off Harry Potter.

"Didn't do anything" Harry claimed, surprising everyone in the room.

"How the heck would you know, Harry?" Sadie questioned while burning her eyes into the Boy Who Lived. "You were in front of him. There's no possible way that you could see what he did or didn't do!"

"I saw…" Hermione pipped in softly, making Draco raise an eyebrow in confusion. "He didn't touch my potion."

'What the hell? This is different…'

"Miss Granger," Slughorn began after studying her area of the table for a moment "it seems you have added Fluxweed powder..."

"Fluxweed?" she questioned confused "T-that's impossible. The recipe didn't call for it."

"No" Slughorn stated calmly "no it did not, however there are traces of it around your cauldron here and on your station as well."

"I swear I didn't use that ingredient, Professor, I didn't even grab it from the closet. I used exactly what was on the board and I followed the steps precisely."

"Well, it seems we are in a bit of a predicament here, aren't we? I will need to let the Headmistress know at once so we may get to the bottom of this. Everyone gather a sample of your potions, label them, and bring them to the front, then return to your common room and stay there until we sort this mess out…Class dismissed."

As the students packed up their things, Draco couldn't take his eyes off Hermione. She had willingly stood up for him even after the wretched comment he made to her earlier in the day, not only that, she voluntarily helped him up when he fell and never once laughed at him. His stomach began to flutter and he now knew what he had to do.

'I have to do it-I'm gonna do it…She is leaving me no choice. I have to test if this is real. It's the only way…I'm going to kiss her…I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, am going to kiss…( he gulped slightly) Hermione Granger.'

02:38pm

Entering the eighth-year common room, the group threw their bags on the floor and sat down on the couches, exhausted from the fight through the halls on whether the Slytherin Prince was actually guilty or not. And even though Draco had his friends, Harry, and Hermione on his side, it still wasn't enough to convince the others that he wasn't in the wrong.

Hermione walked up the stairs to her room with Ginny following swiftly behind her while the rest of their peers began to bicker once more. However, during the quibble that grew louder, Draco suddenly sat up straight, shocking the people around him.

"Uh…Theo?" he steadily began while eyeing his friend cautiously.

Theo seemed to have realized why Draco's face suddenly became paler than usual as his eyes widened with recollection.

"Oh, Son of a Unicorn!"

The boys quickly got up from their seats and ran upstairs to Draco's room.

"How the hell did we forget?" Theo immediately questioned as soon as the door clicked closed.

"Honestly…" Draco chuckled. "Weasleby isn't that difficult to forget."

"This isn't funny, Draco! We left him in there with…that-that wench of a woman! If being stuck in a room for two hours wasn't already torture enough, we had to lock him in there for hours with that thing!"

"What is it with you hating Brown so much?"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"I told you my secrets, Theo, the least you could do is respect me enough to tell me why you loath the girl!"

Theo crossed his arms as he sat down on the bed in a huff. He raised his eyes to Draco angrily, but quickly released a breath through his nose and uncrossed his arms.

"Fine…but you can't judge me for it, alright?" he asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"When have I ever judged you?" Draco asked in offense.

"Uh…You really want to know? Because I have a whole list of times where you judge me…That time where I thought I was crushing on Ginny Weasley in fourth year until I realized she was too much for me to handle, the time I accidentally glanced at your dick in the urinals third year because I wanted to see if you were bigger than me…still upset that you are by the way…That time when-"

"Alright" Draco held up a hand to stop him "I get it; I was an arse to you."

"But you were still my best mate" Theo smiled happily. "You always had my back and you never let anyone get away with bullying me. You gave me advice and you always had a good reason for judging me…but this…there is no good reason to perceive me as anything less than what I am. I know I crack inappropriate jokes at inappropriate times and I don't like taking things too seriously. I learned during the war that life…life is too short to let things affect me the way they used to."

"So then why are you letting Brown, of all people, get to you?"

"Because…" Theo let out a deep sigh as he looked down at his hands "because she's blackmailing me."

"Blackmailing you? Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner? How long has this been going on?"

"A few months now"

"A few months? And you didn't think to tell me?" Draco asked angrily, not liking the fact that the harpy had been taking advantage of his best mate for months. Theo was the closest person he had to a real family besides his mother. He was like a brother to him and he hated anyone who ever tried to bring him down.

"I didn't tell you cause I knew you would react like this."

'Is he serious?'

"Of course, I would react like this! No one gets to blackmail you and live to tell the tale! What does she have on you?"

"Nothing…" Theo stated quietly.

"Nothing? How the bloody hell can she extort you with nothing?"

"She doesn't have anything on me, Draco…She plans to create a story. One most people might believe because of my skills at inappropriate jokes. A-and if I don't keep her secret, she is going to tell everyone I-I forced myself on her."

"I'm sorry…WHAT?" Draco shouted, causing Theo to flinch at the sound of his booming voice. "I WILL FUCKING MURDER HER!"

"This is why I didn't want to tell you" Theo exclaimed while swiftly standing up and casting a silencing charm on the door. "I didn't touch her I swear! But I knew if I told you, you would cause a scene and make things worse for me!"

"What is her secret?" Draco asked clenching his teeth in fury. "What is so confidential that she is willing to destroy someone for?"

"I-"

"What is her secret, Theo?" he demanded while taking a step forward, hovering close to his friends' face.

"That she's not a virgin!" Theo spat out while leaning backwards from the intimidating Prince before him.

"That…" Pressing his tongue against the corner of his mouth, Draco turned around in anger and ran his fingers through his blonde hair before pivoting back to his best friend. "That is what she is willing to ruin you over! That she's not a fucking virgin! So-fucking-what if she had sex with the Weasel, no one gives a shite!"

"She's never had sex with Weasley…" Theo muttered under his breath.

Draco's eyes widen in shock as he realized what Theo was trying to say."

"She-She cheated on him…How do you know?"

"I-I overheard her and Longbottom talking in Diagon Alley when we were getting our supplies for school. She never revealed who with, but I know for a fact it was not with the ginger…though…it did sound like Longbottom was confronting her about it. I think he knows who it was with."

"How did she find out that you knew?"

"She caught me eavesdropping…Not my finest moment" Theo shrugged.

"I'd say" Draco scoffed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"We-are not going to do anything. I'm going to hold up my end of the bargain and ride this thing out…Figuratively of course. I wouldn't touch her even if she was the last living human on this planet. I'd rather Nott Junior fall off, shrivel up, and die than subject him to that life of misery. I would rather-"

"Alright!" Draco cut in "I get it…We won't do anything."

'But I…will.'

08:09pm

Draco told Harry he would have to talk to him later, so after secretly releasing a very pissed off Ron and Lavender from the bedroom, speaking to Headmistress McGonagall about Hermione's potion mishap, and trying to find a way to help Theo with his predicament, he was exhausted.

McGonagall still prohibited him from attending the ball due to multiple people claiming he was responsible, but surprisingly she did not give him detention again…not that he would have to appear for it anyway. He assumed it was due to not causing an outburst like the last two times which astonished even him, though he wasn't about to complain.

Entering the empty dark common room only illuminated by the candles scattered around, Draco took in a deep breath as he sat down on the sectional facing the East wall. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the fireplace ahead of him, igniting the burnt logs before removing his cloak, and lying down. However, his brief escape was quickly interrupted by the portrait door clicking closed.

Soft sobs echoed through the room forcing Draco to narrow his brows in confusion. Sitting up, he witnessed Hermione wiping her face as she sniffed her tears away, oblivious of his presence in the room.

'This…didn't happen before. Why is she crying?'

"Granger?" he asked, startling her. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, Merlin's beard!" she expressed while holing a hand to her chest." I-I'm fine. I-I j-just have s-something in my eye, like a twig…or a branch" she stated sarcastically while quickly wiping away at her tear stained face. "Since when do you care if I am alright or not?" she snapped.

"I don't-I mean I do-I mean…I don't know what I mean, okay? You're not known for crying without reason so I figured I'd ask. Sue me for trying to be nice."

Draco stood up in frustration, but no sooner did he take a step did Hermione stop him, forcing him to turn around.

"Malfoy, I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's just…a lot has happened today and I had to get away from everything."

"Yeah" he claimed softly. "I mean yeah?" he chuckled nervously, hoping it came across more as a question that understanding. "I would want to leave too if I heard Blaise and Pansy singing a mash-up."

"Actually, they were quite good for one of the opening acts…But that's not why I left."

"Oh…why did you leave then?"

"I don't have to tell you" she crossed her arms while scowling indignantly at him.

"Fine," he threw up his hands in defeat "don't tell me. I didn't really wanna know anyway."

Draco turned to leave when Hermione slumped her shoulders and plopped herself on to the couch opposite of him. She removed her pirate hat and kicked her heeled boots up before motioning him to sit down. Instead of sitting in the original spot he had gotten up from, Draco walked over to her and parked himself on the same sectional as her with only the crack between the cushions separating them.

She eyed him skeptically at first, but as he watched her bite her lip ever so slightly and huff, he knew she was happy he decided to sit near her.

'You can do this, Draco. This is the perfect time to test your feelings. If there's no spark then you can move on and forget you ever thought you could like her; simple as minced pie. Just go slow and get her more comfortable around you.'

"I didn't have a date…" Hermione confessed while looking down at her hands. "First Lavender insults me, which normally I would brush off, but for some odd reason today of all days, it really bothered me. Then Ginny tells me this metal news that I am still trying to process, Neville is having girl problems, and Ron…well Ron always has something going on, and then my potion gets ruined," she turned her head to him "which I know you didn't do and it's unfair that you were forbidden from attending the Ball."

Draco waved a hand and half-smiled.

"Eh, I didn't really want to go anyway"

"Still...It's not fair"

"Life isn't supposed to be fair, Granger. Trust me, I know."

'Why did I never give her a chance to at least be friends? She's easy to talk to and not once has she judged me for my past yet.'

Hermione lowered her head back down and continued to play with the tips of her fingers as she released a sigh through her perfect lips.

"Anyway…I have been studying so hard to pass that exam and still failed, unless they catch the culprit, and I end up alone at the Halloween Ball while my best friends dance happily with their partners."

"Sounds boring...I can see why you left" Draco stated while repositioning himself to face her and rested his head on his propped hand.

Hermione gazed at him wearily so he smiled tenderly to let her know he was joking. She chuckled gently before moving her eyes back in front of her.

"It wasn't boring so much as lonely…but it's fine," she waved a hand at him "no one wants a bookworm as a date to a party anyway. I'm not even a very good dancer."

"Anyone who turned down dancing with you while dressed like that…has to be mad."

"Oh, shut- up!" she expressed as she playfully shoved his chest with a light laugh, but her expression suddenly turned serious as she veered her eyes to him. "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought catching me crying for being alone at a dance would be enough ammunition for you to tease me."

'This is it...Do it before you pussy out and lose the moment!'

"I don't ever want to tease you, Granger…Not unless you want me to."

Draco's grey eyes dropped from Hermione's golden brown gaze down to her lips and he though strongly about not heeding his own advice. Never in his life did he ever think about snogging Hermione Granger, let alone think it would actually happen. But as his eyes flicked back to hers while his body unconsciously leaned closer to her, he could see the want emanate from her perfect orbs.

Her lips slightly parted as he moved closer and closer and he could now smell the fragrant rose perfume emitting from her skin. A strange feeling of need washed over him and he knew he just had to have a taste.

Closing the final gap between them, his lips brushed tenderly against hers, causing her to moan ever so softly. Tilting his head to the right, he closed his eyes, and jumped. The feeling of her soft petal skin against his caused a spark to ignite within his soul, making him crave her in ways he'd never imagined all while wanting the moment to last forever. To his surprise, Hermione lifted a hand and entangled her fingers through the back of his hair while pressing her lips eagerly against his.

Draco deepened the kiss as his insides exploded in euphoria. He had kissed other girls before but never had he experienced anything like the one he had now. It was like he was floating on a broom in the endless sky during a sunset that refused to dissipate. Her kiss was magic he could only dream of possessing and once it was in his grasp…he never wanted to give it up.

But alas, all dreams must come to an end and it seemed Hermione suddenly realized what was happening. Pulling back quickly, she broke the kiss and slapped him hard across his left cheek before standing up in shock.

"Ow! What the bloody hell was that for?" Draco inquired as he held his cheek in confusion.

"This is just a sick joke to you!" Hermione uttered as she looked to him in anger.

"What?" he stood up while dropping a hand from his now rosy cheek. "I don't understand, I thought we were having a nice time!"

"A nice time?" she scoffed as she pushed hard against his chest forcing him take a step back. "You and me? What sort of sick game are you playing at, Malfoy? You think you can pretend to be nice to me so you can what, conquer the unattainable virgin; add me as just another notch on your bed post?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You think I'm stupid? Like I don't know how you received the infamous title of Slytherin Sex God! You only gain that crown from being a floozy and word spreads, Malfoy. You're a whore!"

"Granger, I'm a fucking virgin you daft woman! Crabbe and Goyle spread that rumor about me fourth year. It was never true; I just went along with it because it improved my status. I didn't kiss you because I wanted to conquer you, damn it I kissed you because I like you!"

'There I said it...Shite I said it...aloud...to her...and I actually meant it!'

"You're lying…Someone put you up to this and I refuse to let you torment me into thinking you actually like me!"

'But I do...Oh, this is bad…fuck me!'

Hermione pushed passed him but Draco wasn't having it and he followed her fast pace up the stairs. Grabbing her arm to stop her at the top of the lower staircase, Hermione whipped her body around and raised her arms.

Draco saw the push coming before it was even about to happen, however, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

'Oh, fuck me sideways!'

Tumbling down the steps with hard painful thumps, he felt something snap in his neck before the whole room went pitch black.

Waking up in his room at 07:20am, Draco cracked his neck to the side as he pushed himself up from off his stomach. Realizing he didn't put a single dent in fixing his situation, he pursed his lips in embitterment.

"Fuck it! Fuck everything!" he exclaimed aloud to absolutely no one as all the care in the world left his body. "If Granger is going to be like that and I am doomed to repeat this fucking day forever…I might as well have a little fun with it."

Furrowing his brows, Draco's signature smirk grew upon his lips as he planned exactly what he'd do for the day and what he knew…he was going to get away with.


	6. Screw the System

Chapter 6- Screw the System

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:22am

After ignoring Theo at his door, Draco finished getting dressed in comfortable slacks and a white button down, before scowling in the mirror as he cleansed himself with his wand. Walking back to the closet, he pushed his perfect hanging clothing to the side and opened a compartment hidden in the back. Pulling out a bottle of Firewhisky, he smirked as he studied the 750ml bottle in his hand.

Popping the cap off the top, Draco downed about one-fourth of the liquid before wiping his mouth on his sleeve, and sat himself on the bed. Taking another swig, he heard a soft knock echo at his door, but he ignored whoever wished to disturb him, and instead continued to drink.

“Malfoy?” Hermione questioned faintly before knocking lightly twice. “Are you alive in there?”

Rolling his eyes, Draco laid back and sighed before deciding to answer the girl speaking to him.

“Piss off, Granger. We don’t need to do this again.”

“Do what again?” she asked confused.

“Talk-We don’t need to talk, again. Leave me to wallow in my misery without you.”

“Malfoy, can I please come in?”

“NO!” he replied in anger as he sat up straight, but apparently the motion was too quick for his body to catch up and he had to pause for a second to gather himself.

“Why not? It seems like you could use a friend right about now.”

“What part of ‘piss off’ did you not understand? Find someone else to dump your feeling onto and leave me alone.”

“Malfoy, I-”

“Granger!” he exclaimed in defeat while running his fingers through his hair. “Please, go away. I can’t be around you right now…Please…just go.”

“Okay” she agreed flatly. “But you should at least eat something before class sta-”

“Go!” he expelled in annoyance.

“Alright, okay…I’m going.”

He waited until he heard her footsteps dissipate before lying back down and closed his eyes. By the time Theo and Harry had arrived at his room, a mere forty-minutes later, Draco had polished off half the bottle of whiskey and was now fully feeling the effects of his actions.

Swaying back and forth as he began opening the door, he prayed to Salazar that Hermione wasn’t on the other side. His wish was granted however, when two very confused men stood before him and he strongly considered slamming the wooden barrier in their faces. Despite the idea, the smell of bacon and eggs filled his nostrils making his stomach growl loudly and he temporarily forgot how pissed he was when he realized how hungry he had been.

“Uhhhh, not to ruin a good time,” Theo began as he eyed Draco up and down with a perplexed expression “but err…are you drunk?”

“Be afraid and then do it anyway? You’re advice sucks! What-” he hiccupped “what is he doing here?” Draco asked while holding onto the door to keep his balance.

“Oh, I uh, I brought you some breakfast. Hermione wanted to do it, but she left the Great Hall early thanks to Lavender being a dolt, so I told her I would.” Harry replied gently while lifting the plate with a small cloche covering it.

“Why?” Draco questioned, while scrunching face in confusion.

“Be-cause you haven’t eaten anything yet…”

“No, why would you want to bring me food?”

“Hermione is exceptionally convincing” he shrugged. “Plus, it’s not like I have anything against you like Ron does. I have come to accept you the way you are…So, do you want the meal or not?” Draco’s stomach growled again causing Harry to raise a brow and smirk. “Seems like ya do…Can we come in?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really, no” Theo smiled before pushing past the drunk Slytherin and threw himself on the bed like it was his own.

Harry folded his lips in as he waited awkwardly for blonde to give him permission to enter. Waving a hand, Draco reluctantly moved out of the way to allow Harry access before shutting the door and turning.

“Nice room” Harry began as he looked around.

“Are you going to hold that plate all day or…?”

“Oh” Harry chuckled slightly as he handed the food over before leaning back against the dresser near the closet. “I didn’t know what you liked so I just grabbed a little bit of everything. Though, Nott said you really liked bacon so I piled some extra on there for ya.”

Draco began devouring the food as he sat on the bed before glancing up at the Chosen One in bewilderment.

“Why?” he asked raising a brow.

“He’s just trying to be nice, Draco” Theo chimed in as he sat up. “Are you going to question every little thing he does?”

“Yes, because I want to know why he’s being nice…to me…of all people.”

“I know what it’s like to be hungry” Harry admitted with a shrug. “Plus, Hermione said that if I wasn’t nice to you, she’d hex me.”

“Because she likes me…”

“Wha-” Harry’s jaw dropped as he stared at Draco in astonishment.

“You already told me this- what, like two days ago?” he cut in with a mouth full of food; sobering him up some.

“I never told you she liked you.”

“But you did” Draco replied as he wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin. “You just don’t remember.”

“You didn’t obliviate him, did you?” Theo asked with wide eyes.

“What? No.” Releasing a sigh, Draco washed down his meal and considered that this was the perfect time to retell his story, mainly due to not wanting to have this conversation with Harry again; Theo of course was a different story. “I am stuck in a time loop, blah blah blah, on my third time reliving this stupid day you told me a secret to prove I was telling the truth. I would have said something to you yesterday, but I forgot Theo and I locked Brown and Weasley in her room, then Theo told me why he hates Brown so much so I told you I would talk to you later, but later never came.”

“Why would you lock Lavender and Ron in her room?” Harry questioned, stunned at the admittance.

“Wait, I told you why I hate that harpy?”

“To prove she was out to get me, unfortunately I was wrong; and yes Theo, you told me. But…” he continued while exhaling a breath “things went differently than I originally planned. Your little secret made me realize I might have feelings for Granger…so I tested the theory and kissed her.”

“You-you kissed Hermione?” Harry asked in astonishment.

“Yes. At first, she accepted it then she pushed me…twice. Second time actually caused my death which surprisingly answered my question on what happens if I accidentally die.”

“I’m sorry” Theo interrupted. “You kissed Granger?”

“Yes, Theo. I kissed Granger, moving on. She thought I was tricking her and pushed me away. I tried to tell her I wasn’t because…damn that kiss was amazing. Anyway, she shoved me down the stairs causing the day to reset. Now I am stuck in my bedroom with you two dolts, drinking my life away…You know, this is entirely your fault, Potter!”

“My fault? How the hell is it my fault? I don’t remember telling you a damn thing and even if I did, it’s not like me telling you Hermione fancying you would cause you to try and kiss her without actually getting to know her first!”

‘Damn…he’s right’

“So wait, you weren’t already secretly shagging her?”

“Why the hell does everyone think her and I are shagging?” Draco asked in frustration.

“Because everyone but you apparently, knows Mione likes you. She doesn’t hide it very well and everyone is too scared to say anything. We all just figured you wanted to maintain your image and keep it behind closed doors. Also Hermione is a virgin, Nott…I guess the rumor has magnified into shagging now, but she hasn’t had sex with anyone” Harry stated with a huff while crossing his arms.

“Well neither have I” Draco admitted while taking another long drink from the bottle.

Both boys’ gaze shot to him in surprise as their jaws slowly fell open. He quickly rolled his eyes and leaned back against the headrest of his bed.

“You know repeating the same conversations every day is so much more annoying than actually reliving this hellish day. Yes, I’m a virgin, no, it is not a lie, and yes I finally admit I like Granger, but I can’t be around her right now.”

“Why not?” Theo piped in. “You said she snogged you back and Potter admits she likes you too.”

“He’s scared” Harry claimed as he studied Draco’s face intently.

‘Fuck you!’

“You don’t know a damn thing about me, Potter! What are you even still doing here?” Draco questioned as his attitude towards the situation became bitter.

“You are though; you’re scared she won’t accept you. Well trust me when I say you can’t avoid her forever, Malfoy. She will unintentionally find you without even trying. Why not just get to know her?”

“Don’t you have a pregnant girlfriend be scared of, Potter? Don’t tell me what I am and am not afraid of!”

“Pregnant gir…” Harry’s lips began to fall at the realization of what Draco was saying. “Ginny isn’t pregnant, I would know…she would have told me! You’re lying!”

“Am I?” Draco replied callously as he took another large sip from the liquor bottle. “Seems to me like you don’t even know what’s going on in your own life, so why don’t you do me a favor and shut-up about me and what I’m going through! Manage your own shite first and get the hell out of my room!”

“Draco!” Theo pleaded in shock. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

‘You will never fucking understand!’

“What the fuck is wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re being blackmailed by the over obsessive slag that’s cheating on her boyfriend, and you seem to have lost your damn balls at confronting her. Here’s an idea, both of you get your own shite together before trying to come at me and get THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!”

Harry quickly walked to the door but stopped when he saw Theo rise from the bed and glare his friend down.

“I said get out Theo! I don’t wa-”

“You’re being a huge dick right now” Theo cut in firmly making Draco raise his eyes to him with a scowl. “I can’t even begin to comprehend what the hell you are going through, but there is absolutely no fucking reason for you to snap on Potter or me. Merlin,” he chuckled mirthlessly “drunk Draco is the biggest arse around. One would think that of all the times I have had your back, or the moments Potter has defended you against Weasley, you would learn that we are not your fucking enemies” he huffed angrily. “So, here is a better idea, how about you sober your intoxicated arse up before even thinking about calling out our issues, you prat! Let’s go Potter, Draco here apparently missed nap time and forgot to look in the fucking mirror at his damn self!” he snapped before turning on his heel and walked towards Harry.

Draco chuckled acrimoniously as he shook his head back and forth.

“What the hell is so funny?” Theo demanded while whirling his body back to the blonde in outrage.

“The fact that you think I care what you think…amuses me” he sneered as he shrugged his shoulders, causing his friend to look at him in disgust before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Over the next several hours, Draco had gotten himself so wasted he managed to cause chaos everywhere he went. Harry had apparently confronted Ginny in the worst possible way, causing them to break up temporarily, and Draco to be slapped for barging in on their relationship. Theo on the other hand, ignored him the whole day and somehow convinced Blaise and Pansy to as well; not that he cared, he preferred being alone anyway. And during the screaming match between Lavender and Ron, he somehow managed to attend class without Slughorn knowing he was drunk…at first. However, he didn’t need to wait to try and find out who ruined Hermione’s potion because he himself unintentionally destroyed it; without the use of Fluxweed.

Draco had unexpectedly knocked into her potion, spilling its contents all over the stone floor as he crashed to the ground from loss of balance. Hermione obviously was extremely pissed off, but that was the last thing he was worried about, seeing as he knew she wouldn’t remember tomorrow anyway.

Walking through dark empty corridors as the Ball was in full swing not far away, Draco swayed left and right as he made his way sneakily back to the common room. Somehow, he guided his drunken self through most of the school undetected and managed to avoid having to face Headmistress McGonagall or Filch and his ugly red-eyed cat.

Taking another swig of his second bottle of Firewhisky, Draco stumbled down the empty hall, causing the liquor to pour down the front of his shirt. Cursing himself, he continued his stroll until he made it to his destination surprisingly unscathed. Slurring the password, he faltered through the door and laughed at himself for being so clumsy. Removing his stained white shirt, Draco now stood plastered and bare-chested in front of the coffee table in the eighth-year common room.

Too inebriated to walk up the stairs without falling down, he moved to try and sit on one of the couches, but his vision was now doubled and he missed his mark. Albeit the sound of his laughter covered the noise of the portrait door clicking shut.

“MALFOY!” Hermione screamed in fury as she stormed into the room dressed in her Halloween Pirate costume.

“Oh, fuck me…” he muttered as he awkwardly stood up and stumbled backwards, but never once spilled a drop of liquor. “How the…fuck did you fin…d me?”

“Marau-der’s…map…” she stopped in her tracks only a few feet away from him as she stared at his sculpted abs; distracted in the moment as she looked on in awe of his seeker-built body while slowly lowering the folded-up map in her right hand.

“Stare…much, Granger?” Draco mocked as he almost fell forward, but caught himself just in time before face planting onto the ground.

“I…uh, ehem…I-”

Draco leaned his jaw forward as he waited for Hermione to continue, but she was so captivated with his shirtless torso, she lost the words to finish.

“I know I look g..ood and al-all, but could you s…top staring. It’s making me want to vom…it” he claimed through his hiccups.

“Fuck you!” she spat in animosity, bringing herself out of the spellbound trance she found herself in.

“Say that again” he urged.

“Fuck…You, you insufferable heartless git!”

“There she is” he stated proudly with a wide smile as he waved a finger back and forth. “Thought I lost y-a there for minute.”

“You are an arsehole!” she claimed with a stomp of her foot.

“Yes…Yes I am. Anything else you’d like-you’d like to add?”

“Like what? Like the fact that I hate you! You purposely sabotage my chance of passing that exam so that you could pretend for once in your miserable messed up life that you were smarter than me! You will never be better than me, you will never be better than anyone! You a-are nothing, Malfoy…Nothing but a drunk who ruins everything he touches!”

‘Huh, that last line is new’

“You done?”

“NO!” she screamed before pausing briefly, letting Draco get a good long look as her chest rose and fell with barley contained boiling anger. “Yes.”

“Good…cause…we’re done here. Unless you would like to fine…inally admit that you fancy me in-inste…ad of telling everyone else in this forsaken school!” he rambled as he tried to bring her face back into focus.

“What? Now you have really lost you’re damn mind!”

“Oh, Granger…Do us both a favor and sto…p lying. Didn’t you know?” he began, throwing his hands in the air as he barely kept his balance “I’M STUCK IN A FUCKING TIME…LOOP, and apparently today’s the day I reveal ever…yone’s dirty little secrets! Yours are no exception!”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Wrong with me?” he pointed a finger to his chest. “There is plenty wrong with me! The real...question, is what the bloody hell is wrong with you?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh ple…ase; I tried being nice, I tried being the go…od guy for once, and you still pushed me away! Literally, I might add” he ineptly turned to point to the staircase “down the sta…irs killing me, and causing my day to fucking reset…again!”

“You’re drunk, Malfoy. You are making absolutely no sense”

“You’re damn…right I am! But that doesn’t det..er from the fact that none of this makes any fucking sense!” he continued to ramble through hiccup after hiccup while waving his arms around; somehow still holding on to the bottle of liquor in his right hand. “I am trapped in this fuc…king hellish nightmare falling for your ungrateful arse, and eve…rything I do is meaningless! Someone always ruins your potion, I still get blam…ed for it, and I never make it passed the fucking Ball because someh..ow, I constantly get knocked the fuck out…But you know what, Granger” he drifted forward slightly as he held a finger up. “I’m done. I’m done trying to help you, I’m done getting accused of shite I would ne…ver do, and I am so fucking done with getting hit in the damn head…I’m…done!”

“Malfoy, I-”

“What? You what Granger? Can help me? You can’t…No one can help me! So, do us both a fuc…king favor and leave me the fuck alone!”

Draco began taking a large gulp of the whiskey when Hermione took a pleading step forward.

“Oh no you don’t” he claimed pointing at her with the bottle in his hand as the liquid dribbled out of his mouth, stopping her from coming any closer. “Don’t try and be all Gryffindory and try to fix me! I’m-not-broken!”

“Malfoy, please just-”

“STAY…AWAY FROM ME!” he yelled as he took a step back.

However, Draco was too drunk to realize how close he was to the East sectionals’ corner and fell backwards over the arm. Falling fast, he hit his head on the edge of the large square coffee table before crashing to the floor with a hard thud.

October 29th, 1999 07:22am Day 6

Waking up with a massive headache, Draco sat up straight and clenched his jaw as a vein throbbed angrily in his neck. He was pissed off at the outcome of his day but was surprisingly happy to find out that hangovers didn’t have any effect on him; only the inconvenient pounding from each knock out he took followed him into the morning.

Quickly standing up, he opened his door to find Theo with his hand in the air ready to knock.

“Oh, shite! You scared me” Theo claimed with a timid chuckle. “I was just coming to-”

“Wake me” Draco cut in. “Well I’m awake” he claimed with a sarcastic smile. “I am definitely awake.”

Pushing pasted his friend who raised a brow to him, Draco walked down the stairs still in his pajamas, and out the portrait door. He wanted to get as far away from anyone he knew as fast as he could, if he was going to try and make it until the end of the night.

Students began to fill the corridors as they made their way to breakfast, so Draco blended in the best he could as he watched carefully for any dangers around him. Quickly making his way to the area of the castle that contained the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor dorm rooms, he figured he could hide out in one of the towers until the end of the night, if he could make it past the death trap known as the Moving Stairwell.

Draco had no idea where the Hufflepuff’s common room even was and the last thing he wanted was to be spotted near the Slytherin dorms as everyone there would recognize him. So, he made his way to the tower of stairs and prayed with everything he had that he remembered to jump over the vanishing step half way up.

Taking in a deep breath, he began his trek up the stairs as he held tightly to the railing and carefully watched as each stairwell above him changed in different directions. After about ten minutes of climbing as slowly as possible, Draco finally made it to the disappearing step and remembered to avoid it at all costs.

As he skipped over the stair, he strongly wondered who in their right mind decided it was a good idea to build booby-traps where students had to walk. It boggled his mind that any Professor would allow such a thing in the school, then again Dumbledore once stated that the Dark Forest was strictly prohibited to all students…yet the Headmaster still had himself, Hermione, Neville, and Harry enter the blackness of the trees for detention during first year.

‘This school is so fucked up’

Draco began to take another step when he suddenly felt something dead and cold rush through him as Peeves the Poltergeist scared the ever-loving piss out of him. The prankster poltergeist laughed in hysterics as Draco lost his footing in fear and began falling. He tried to catch himself by stepping backwards and found his left foot touch nothing but air as the stair behind him vanished into nothing.

Panic set in as Draco tried to reach out for the railing and missed, and began tumbling backwards down the stairwell; hitting every step on the way down.

October 29th, 1999 07:22am Day 7

Draco punched his pillow repeatedly as he cursed Peeves into the next century before sitting up and scowling. He looked back and forth as he thought of what to do next. Picking up his wand off the nightstand Draco charmed a sign to hang on the outside of his door, before locking himself in, and waiting out the day.

After hours and hours of ignoring everyone who tried to get him to come out, Draco’s stomach growled loudly and painfully. He looked at the clock next to his bed and realized that all the students were down in the Great Hall, half-way through the Halloween Ball. He decided that now was the best time to get some real food as it was a good hour past the time Hermione usually came back to the common room.

Poking his head through the crack in his door, Draco slowly stepped out and carefully walked down the stairs. Once he was sure he was safely away from the steps, he rushed out the portrait and down the long corridors until he made it to the Dungeons. He quickly slipped into an alcove as a few younger male students chatted and laughed down the hall, before poking his head out to see if the coast was clear.

“I can’t believe we got away with that prank this morning!” one of the students claimed in excitement.

“Mate, that shite was wicked as hell! Bloody brilliant! Did you see McGonagall’s face when she showed up to the library?” his friend replied before rounding the corner making it hard for Draco to hear the rest of the conversation…not that he really wanted to anyway.

After rolling his eyes as the boys left the area, he darted to the large portrait that consisted of a bowl of fruit. Tickling the pear, he waited as the painting opened and he could slip inside.

Looking around the vast dark empty kitchen, he spotted a cluster of bananas sitting on one of stone counter tops to the right; so, he walked over and broke one off the pack. He peeled the yellow fruit and slowly took a savory bite as his stomach continued to growl. He was almost finished with the thing when a loud pop echoed in the room, scaring him so badly he began to choke and dropped the peel on the floor.

“Mr. Draco!” Winky the house elf exclaimed in surprise. “Winky did not knows sir was in the kitchen. Can I’s get you anything?”

‘Help me!’ Draco thought as he clutched his throat and panicked.

“Are yous okay sir?” she questioned with the tilt of her head. “Oh, you is blue! You is choking?”

‘Yes! For the love of Merlin, HELP ME!’

“I help Mr. Draco! Winky is a good house elf. Winky knows how to help, oh yes.”

Winky snapped her elongated fingers and Draco instantly felt like he was punched in the solar plexus. The banana bit shot from his mouth and landed with a splatter on Winky’s face as Draco sucked in a ragged breath.

“You is better, sir?” Winky questioned as she wiped the yellow fruit from her cheek. “Is sir hungry? I can make Mr. Draco a snack?”

Draco nodded his head as he leaned on the counter to catch his breath and waved a hand at the house elf that almost killed him. Throwing his head back in frustration as Winky walked to the cold box to grab something for him to eat, Draco pushed himself off the counter and went to sit down. However, he had forgotten in his earlier state of hysteria, that he had dropped the peel of the banana onto the floor.

As he took a step forward, his foot began to glide across the tiled ground forcing his left leg to stretch out painfully in front of him. The movement was too quick for him to stop the dreaded decent and he soon found himself in a full split as he cried out in pain and clutched his balls in agony.

“Mr. Draco…” Winky proclaimed in worry as she rushed her little legs over to the blonde sobbing mercilessly on the floor. “What happened?”

“Knock me out!” he demanded through his wailing cries of pain. “Please…knock me out!”

“But sir, we can’t knocks you out. It’s against school rules.”

“Please!” Draco begged as the pain shot up his groin and into his stomach. “I order you! Knock me out!”

“Winky is sorry, sir, but I is forbidden to harm any students.”

“Please” he sobbed softly into the tiles, still clutching his dick in both hands as he rolled on the floor.

“Let Winky help sirs up and get yous some ice.”

Winky snapped her fingers and slowly lifted Draco to his feet before turning around to fetch him some ice. He leaned a hand on the counter for support as he cursed himself for even coming to the kitchens in the first place, before taking a step forward to try and turn; still forgetting about the banana peel on the floor. His right foot slipped on the yellow skin, causing him to fall backwards, and whack his head hard on the plated ground, knocking him out instantly.

October 29th, 1999 07:22am Day 8

Once again, he awoke in his bed with a massive headache and a nagging pain shooting through his groin.

‘Seriously! A fucking banana knocked me out? Of all the fucking things in this damn school it had to be a fucking banana?’

Sitting up as he rubbed his sore lower region, Draco thought hard about how the pajama pants were constricting his dick. Standing up, he took off his pants before an idea burst into his mind.

“Draco!” Theo bellowed from the other side of the wooded entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants…us…all-” he stopped as Draco opened the door with a wide grin plastered on his face. Theo haltingly looked his friend up and down as his jaw slowly began to fall open. “Uhhhh…Draco?”

“Yes, Theo?” Draco questioned innocently as he stepped out and closed his door behind him.

“Umm…I mean…no judgement or anything but uhhh…Where-where are your clothes?”

“Today just felt like a freeing sort of day, Theo my dear boy! You should give it a try” Draco claimed as he griped his friends’ cheeks in his hand and squeezed lightly, giving Theo fish lips. “Nott Junior will be sure to thank you! My basilisk is already loving the fresh breeze.”

“Draco!” Pansy called out in glee before slowly lowering her hand as her eyes widened in shock.

Hermione stepped out of her room with her head looking down into her armful of books, not watching where she was going, and slammed directly into Draco’s naked body. She bent down quickly to pick up her books as she apologized profusely before looking up to see who she hit. Her jaw dropped instantly as she quickly looked away and scrambled to stand up.

“Oh my God, Malfoy!” she began as she covered half her face with her hand. But Draco could see her peek every so often as she continued to talk, causing a smirk to spread across his face. “You’re naked! Why are you naked? Oh, God! Did I touch it? Why are you naked?”

‘She likes what she sees. I knew Granger loved looking at my body. I wonder what she’d do if I touched her? After all I am far enough away from the stairs so she can’t push me down them. Let’s give it a go, shall we?’

Draco turned to face her in all his glory and she quickly took a step back as Theo and the rest of the common room stared at them, speechless. Instead of hugging her like he planned, something inside Draco shouted at him as his stomach began to flutter and his dick became rock hard; showing everyone in the vicinity just how big the Slytherin Prince really was.

Without thinking, Draco reached out a hand and pulled Hermione to him as his lips collided into hers. In that moment he no longer cared what the curly-haired brunette would do or what Ron was about to do as soon as he saw the kiss. No, in that moment all Draco cared about was the taste of her vanilla Chap Stick and the rose perfume he adored invading his senses, sending him into overdrive. He longed to taste her again, to capture that feeling of euphoria he had felt the first time her lips touched his; and even though the kiss was not as sensual as the last, he still felt like he was riding high on cloud nine.

Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise while the stack of books in her hands fell back to the ground and for a brief second Draco could feel her kiss him back before he felt two hands on his naked shoulders pull him away from the blissful interaction.

“Oi, what the bloody hell do you think you are doing, Malfoy?” Ron demanded in rage as his cheeks turned crimson red and Draco could practically see the steam release from the ginger’s ears.

“Kissing, Granger…Weren’t you watching?” he replied cynically. “Jealous?”

“I have a girlfriend, you slimy git! Keep your filthy naked hands off my best friend!”

“Granger didn’t protest” he shrugged as he crossed his arms and turned his head back to Hermione. “Did you, love?”

Hermione blushed slightly while swiftly turning her face to the wall, causing Draco’s lip to turn up in a half smile before he turned back to face the angry Weasley.

“Alright, Malfoy” Harry cut in as he pushed passed a still speechless Theo. “You’ve had your fun, now go put on some clothes…please” he requested calmly as he tried to keep his eyes averted from Draco.

“I don’t think so” he stated with a sneer. “I will do whatever I damn well please.”

“The hell you will!” Ron snapped as he wound his right arm back and slammed his fist directly into Draco’s lip.

Draco stumbled backwards into Hermione who yelped in shock as the rest of the common room gasped sharply. Theo began to charge at Ron, but Harry held him back while the Slytherin wizard shouted profanities in fury. Standing upright with the help of Hermione, Draco glared at Ron with animosity before doing the unthinkable.

“You are good at aiming, Weasley, I’ll give you that” Draco began as he wiped the blood from his lip with his thumb “but I said it twice before and I will continue to say it until it finally sticks into your simple-minded sloth brain…Your Golden Girl…hits harder than you!”

Without letting Ron get in another word, Draco quickly pulled the Gryffindor into a bear hug before swinging both of them over the side of the balcony rail making everyone yell out in horror.

October 29th, 1999 07:22am Day 9

“Worth every damn second” he claimed with a large grin as he awoke in his bed fully clothed.

Climbing off his mattress for the ninth time, Draco finally decided he needed answers; so, he got dressed in his robes and skipped the small talk to head down to the library alone. As he twisted and turned through the crowded corridors, he stopped in front of the library’s glass doors with confusion written on his face. Students began to scream in terror behind him and through the reflection of the doors, he could see why.

A loose bludger flew through the air as it carelessly rammed into walls, breaking stone off the corners of the hallway, before focusing its wrathful violence at Draco. He quickly ducked as the bludger slammed through the doors, scattering glass everywhere before bouncing around the library shelves; wreaking chaos throughout the room like a hippogriff in an apothecary.

Draco stood up as he watched where the ball was heading before turning around to hightail it out of there as fast as he could. Problem was, he forgot for a moment that there were two bludgers in a Quidditch game. The second iron ball came out of nowhere and crashed directly into the blondes’ face, knocking him out before he even knew what hit him.

October 29th, 1999 07:22am Day 10

“GODS DAMMIT, SON OF A BITCH!” he shouted as he punched his pillow in a tantrum, before screaming loudly into his pillow.

“Uh, Draco,” Theo asked from the other side of the doorway “you alright in there?”

“NO! NO, I AM NOT AL-FUCKING-RIGHT IN HERE!”

“Would you like to share your feelings with me?” Theo questioned sarcastically. “We can talk about boys and take our frustrations out with a slumber pillow party! Those always seem to cheer you up” he joked, knowing full well Draco hated everything girls do at sleep-over parties.

Draco slammed his head over and over again into the pillow before agreeing to let the brunette wizard into his room. He began once again to share his issues and everything he had learnt over the past nine days before Theo suggested they take a walk to clear his head.

As the boys skipped breakfast and walked out onto the school grounds, the sky began to open up and trickle drops of rain upon their heads. Theo didn’t seem to care much about the water that seemed so innocent however Draco on the other hand, feared the worst.

‘When the fuck did it start raining? Was I really that daft to not notice it stormed today? Potter was right; I need to pay better attention to shite.’

He watched out for any tell-tale signs of impending danger as the duo continued to walk and talk their way down to the Black Lake and he made sure to avoid trees and other miscellaneous object that could potentially knock him out.

“So, I was thinking” Theo began “about what you told me, and I think there is really only one option left.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” Draco asked as he continued to be weary of his surroundings.

“You tried talking to a professor and that only gave you some information, you tried avoiding anyone and everyone, but we both know that was a no go, and you have tried telling all the guys with little success…”

“Okay and…?”

“Well it’s logical, isn’t it? You have to bring in the big guns to help you.”

“Guns?

“Wand, leader, head honcho, big man on campus, the top- ”

“Okay, alright…I got it…but I already tried talking to the Headmistress; she didn’t seem to believe me.”

“I wasn’t talking about McGonagall, Draco…though I’m sure she believed you. She probably just wants you to try and figure this out yourself. Kinda like how Dumbledore made Potter figure things out…every year…all alone…with no one but Weasley and Granger to help.”

“Then who are you talking about?” Draco questioned raising a brow in interest.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Theo stopped walking and turned to face the Prince. “You need help from the only other person in this school that is just as smart, if not smarter, than you…You need Granger.”

“No way, that is not happening!”

“Well then” he clicked his tongue as he threw his hand in the air “I don’t know what to tell ya. We’ve technically tried absolutely nothing and we are all out of ideas!”

“No, we aren’t! We can figure this out without Granger!”

“Draco, you have avoided asking her for help like the plague for what, five repeated days now? Ever since she pushed you away you have acted like her reaction to you snogging her was an insult.”

“It was! And let’s not forget she caused my death, remember?”

“Accidentally! It’s not like she purposely swung you over a two-story railing like you did to Weasley…Props by the way, wish I remembered it, but anyway, mate, you and Granger have not had the best relationship over the years. You came out of nowhere with that kiss and it probably shocked and confused her. I am pretty sure if the roles were reversed you would have acted that same way. You probably would not have pushed her, but that is the difference between you and her; she uses physical means more when she is mad and you tend to use more…intimidating methods.”

“I’m not bringing her into this. The decision is final.”

“If you say so” Theo shrugged before he continued walking.

As Draco watched his friend stroll through the grass, the rain began to pick up, he took a step but didn’t see the puddle directly in front of him. He had gotten very good at plunging the ground by now, so as soon as he felt his shoe slip in the mud, he leaned his body forward, and rolled out of the fall.

“Whoa! Nice tumble!” Theo expressed with a wide grin. “Trying out for muggle gymnastics in the near future…I mean, if you make it to the future.”

“Shut-up you wanker!” Draco claimed as he brushed the mud off his knees.

“You know, you call me names a lot.” Theo stated as he crossed his arms.

“I could say the same about you…Prat.”

“Yeeahhh, not really helping your case here” he chuckled.

“Wasn’t trying to”

The boys continued down the hill to the Lake as the rain began to fall harder. They pulled out their wands and conjured clear magical umbrellas as they sat on boulder and looked out over the water.

‘Would it really be so bad if I asked Granger for help? Theo may actually be right; she is the only other person who could help me…and bullshitting around hasn’t aided me in the slightest. I just keep getting massive headaches that last longer and longer. I-I guess it wouldn’t hurt to at least try and get to know her better before snogging the goddamn piss out of her. I can’t keep avoiding her or my feelings forever. I mean I did come on a little strong the first…two…times. I can’t really blame her for killing me…that first kiss scared the hell out of me too. But what if she turns me away again? What if she doesn’t actually like me and that kiss really just proved to her that I am nothing; like she keeps repeating every time she yells at me. What if I get stuck living the rest of my life…without her?’

“What’s on your mind, mate?” Theo asked as he studied Draco intently.

“I don’t know…Maybe I could give it a shot” Draco suggested as he threw a pebble into the dark lake.

“Give what a shot?” he questioned as he followed Draco’s lead.

“Having Granger help me; I sort of have been avoiding her because…well because I’m scared-And if you ever repeat that to anyone, I will cut your tongue out and feed it to Longbottom’s toad!”

“My lips are sealed…Not that I will remember any of this anyway. You are a long ways away from solving this mystery…So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you scared of?”

Draco sighed as he played with a rock in his hand before throwing it into the water.

“Liking her, having feelings for someone other than myself, ending up…alone. I have never had feelings for someone before. This is all new to me and-and I’m terrified. I’m terrified I’m going to mess it up…mess her up.”

“But you’ve kissed other girls before, I know you have, I saw you do it with Pansy once.”

“But I never liked her, not like that. But that kiss, Theo…Merlin…that kiss was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I never thought I would ever feel anything like that let alone with Hermione, but I did...twice.”

“But then she pushed you away…the first time.”

“Yes…”

“And you’re afraid you’re going to end up alone because of it?”

Draco bit his bottom lip as he stared out to the water before nodding his head slowly.

“Draco, do you think that maybe she pushed you away because she feels that possibly, she likes you more than you like her?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, turning a questioning gaze to the dark-haired wizard.

“Just here me out now…She has liked you since sixth year correct?” Draco nodded his head as he intently listened to his best friend. “That’s three years of crushing on a single person. Three years of getting to know you behind the scenes and really getting to know you for who you are and not the person your family turned you into.”

“But she dated Weasley.”

“For like a few months before she broke it off. They were never good together, you know that. She’s too smart for him and there is no way he could give her what she needs.”

“Oh, and I can? I can barely care for myself right now, mate…forget trying to care for someone else.”

“Draco mate, don’t you get it? You can’t like someone for that long without learning to really like them. What she needs isn’t to be cared for, what she needs…is you.”

‘Me? So then why did she push me away?’

“I know what you’re thinking and yes I mean you” Theo continued. “Problem with you kissing her the way you did, when you did, probably scared the damn daylights out of her because you didn’t stop and get to know her beforehand. You may be reliving the same day over and over again, but she isn’t.”

“I didn’t think about that when it happened” Draco stated as he lowered his head off to the side.

“That’s because…”

“Because what?” he asked raising his eyes curiously to Theo.

“Well…” Theo began in a high pitched tone as he winced reluctantly. “You sometimes only think of your feelings when things don’t exactly go your way.”

“I do not!”

“Do you really want examples? Cause I have a whole list I ca-”

“No…No it’s fine. Maybe I am a little selfish…sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” Theo laughed while nudging Draco with his elbow. “That’s an understatement!”

“Oh shut-up!” he chuckled as he playfully shoved his best friend. “Everyone is allowed to be selfish now and again.”

“Yeah well, I have a strong feeling that when you and Granger start dating, cause you will, your selfish protective side is going to show a lot more.”

“Merlin’s beard, I am so done with this conversation!” Draco laughed as he stood up from the rock they were sitting on.

“You know I’m right!” Theo called out as Draco walked down to the water’s edge away from him.

But due to letting his guard down, Draco never saw the large tentacle reaching out of the Black Lake. By the time Theo shouted his name in distress, the limb of the Giant Squid residing in the huge lagoon, wrapped around his right ankle and drug the Slytherin Prince into the depths of the pool.

Draco could hear Theo screaming for him as he tried spell after spell to save him, but there was nothing his friend could do. The gigantic cephalopod was not known for attacking students, let alone coming so close to land, but those thoughts where the least of Draco’s worries as the sea creature pulled at his leg harder and harder.

The cold water burned his skin as the squid pulled him further under the water, causing his chest to tighten from lack of air. However, as soon as the attack began, it ended just as quickly.

Swimming as hard and as fast as he could to the surface, Draco climbed out of the lake breathing heavily. Theo rushed to his side, pulling him out of harm’s way as he scrambled to his feet.

“WHAT-THE ACTUAL-FUCK” Draco screamed as he pointed at the water and pushed his friend away. “MERLIN’S FUCKING LEFT TIT SUCKING WHORE-BAG OF A MOTHER’S TESTICLE, WAS THAT?”

But before Theo could muster a single word, lightening cracked across the sky, making both boys look up in horror, before the bright flash of light targeted one blonde Slytherin straight in the chest.


	7. Giving In

Chapter 7- Giving In

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:22am

Draco sniffed the air in confusion as he awoke in his bed and slowly opened his eyes to see his shirt smoking in front of him. Quickly sitting up straight, he frantically patted at his chest to put out the burning embers while falling out of bed in a panic. Crashing hard onto floor, he ripped off his white t-shirt as fast as he could and threw it off to the side as Theo began knocking at his door.

Scrambling to his feet, Draco threw open the entry way, startling his friend slightly.

“Uh, you okay, mate?” Theo asked confused as he looked down at the blackened mark on Draco’s bare sternum. “Who hexed you?” he questioned curiously while raising a hand to touch the imprint that looked very similar to a tree fern tattoo running up his chest and wrapping slightly around the base of Draco’s neck.

Draco swatted his friends’ hand away and quickly rushed out of his room. He didn’t even bother to put on a new shirt as he began pounding hard on Hermione’s door.

“What’s going on?” Theo inquired as the blonde continued to try and get Hermione to open up, but Draco just ignored him.

‘Open the fucking door already!’

Hermione swiftly opened her door but the anger residing on her face quickly fell when Draco grabbed her wrist and began dragging her out of the room. Without saying a word, he grabbed Theo as well and began shoving both of them into his dorm.

“Oi Malfoy! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ron yelled from the bottom of the stairs as he and Harry watched the Slytherin man-handle their best friend.

“Shut-it, Weasel!” Draco replied callously. “The adults need to have a little chat…”

Before Ron could get in another word, Draco stepped into the room and slammed his door closed.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Theo questioned as he looked to Draco with a mix of anger and worry.

“What happened to you?” Hermione asked intriguingly while taking a step forward to study Draco’s chest. “Is…is this what I think it is? Is this from lightning?”

‘You have no bloody idea how fucking right you are.’

“Lightning? How the hell did you get hit by lightning?” Theo said in surprise.

Draco allowed the Gryffindor girl to scan his torso, knowing only she would be able to help him. He felt a slightly uncomfortable as the book-worm gazed at his bare skin like it was a puzzle she was trying to work out, but he no longer had a say in what happens anymore. His headaches were getting worse each time his day reset and now he was getting postpartum effects from each death. He needed help and he needed it now.

‘Please believe me when I tell you this, Granger…Please?’

“We need to talk” he stated firmly.

“Hell yeah, we do” Theo replied as he too began to walk around Draco while studying the Lichtenberg scar that continued to run around his back. “What the hell happened to you?”

‘Everything…Every damn thing happened to me!’

Draco charmed his room before reluctantly recounting every bit of his tale for an hour straight; awkwardly including and admitting to what he embarrassingly did, knowing it was the only way to get the Golden Girl to believe him. He only left out some parts, like his raging hard on for her and the affects her kisses left on him, before putting on some clothes in front of the flustered girl, and lying on his bed in defeat.

“So wait, just…wait” Hermione began as she held up a hand and turned to sit on the edge of the mattress with a scrunched brow. “You’re telling me, you died numerous times but never actually stay dead?”

“Yes…” Draco answered with a sigh.

“And I caused one of your deaths?”

“That would be correct” he claimed, propping himself up on his elbows.

‘Still not over that…Shite hurt!’

But Hermione’s sudden change of expression to one of sadness and remorse, made Draco instantly feel guilty for getting drunkenly angry with her and releasing said anger on everyone around him.

‘Dammit, why does she have to give me sad eyes? How the hell am I supposed to stay mad at her for murdering me when she’s giving me fucking sad eyes! Fucking hell, this woman is going to be the death of me…literally.’

“Look, its fine Granger. I’m still here so no harm no foul” he continued when her eyes began to water.

“You’re not fine though. Your body is losing the ability to heal itself after each death and you still have no idea how to fix the day to stop it from repeating.”

“Hold on a second” Theo chimed in as he backed off the dresser. “Sorry, I’m still trying to process the fact that you’re a virgin and I’ve been ignorant this whole time…You could’ve had a shag with anyone in this school and still technically stayed a virgin…You really never had sex before?” he asked looking to Draco with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.

‘Every…damn…time!’

“No, Theo, and I wouldn’t do something like that…just like I wouldn’t ruin Grangers’ potion.” Draco replied with an exasperating sigh.

“Bugger…Anyway,” he shook his head before looking back to Hermione “you believe him? I mean I know I sort of do, but you’re all about cold hard facts and proof. His messed-up chest and morbidly sadistic story isn’t exactly evidence that he’s reliving the same day over and over again.”

“Nott, I have traveled to the past to help save Harry’s Godfather and Buckbeak, no thanks to this git,” Hermione began while pointing a hand at Draco.

“Hey!” Draco retorted in offense.

“Sorry, but it’s true…Anyway, I have seen things over the past eight years I never thought possible. Nothing really surprises me anymore. The fact that he knows things he shouldn’t especially when they haven’t even happened yet, is enough. I’ve read about paradoxes before but I never actually knew anyone who experienced one.”

“So, you’ll help me?” Draco asked almost pleadingly.

“I’ll help you…on two conditions.”

“Let me guess…one of those conditions is to stop trying to kiss you?”

“No…”

‘Wait, what?’

Both Draco and Theo raised a brow with etched eyes staring curiously at the brunette before Theo opened his mouth to speak.

“Uhhh…so you want him to kiss you?” he asked befuddled.

‘Say yes…Please say yes…Salazar this is bad; I’ve finally reached the point of begging in my head! Malfoy’s don’t beg, Draco! Get your shite together!’

“I-I don’t know. I don’t remember kissing him so I can’t really say if I want him to again or not” Hermione claimed while looking down at her hands in embarrassment.

‘Come on! Stop making me feel for you!’

“What are your conditions, Granger?” Draco asked, sensing her unease.

“Oh, um, well the first would be to stop killing my friends.”

‘I knew it. Always standing up for her friends…Lucky gits’

“It was only Weasley and it was just that one time!” he rebutted quickly. “It’s not like he didn’t deserve it anyway. Bloke failed at punching me three times!”

“Malfoy, if you murder one of them and we somehow figure out how to stop the day from resetting, then you could permanently kill my friends!”

‘Okay, she has a point there.’

“Alright, I won’t kill them…But if Weasley lays a hand on me again I swear to Merlin, I will deck his arse!”

“That’s fair, I guess” she replied with a shrugged.

‘Damn right it’s fair!’

“So, what is the second condition, Granger?” Theo asked while crossing his arms and leaning back against the dresser again.

Hermione blushed slightly as she turned her gaze away from the boys; however, Draco could tell that it had something to do with him…she was just too embarrassed to say it in front of Theo.

“Just ask me Granger. Theo won’t judge you, will you mate?”

“Oh, hell no! I have no room to judge anyone with the shite I’m dealing with. I won’t say anything, I promise…Though I might laugh; just a fair warning. Don’t take it personal, I laugh at everyone.”

Hermione bit her lower lip nervously causing Draco’s breath to catch and his groin to start hardening. He quickly sat up and grabbed a pillow to place on his lap as he tried to pretend that nothing had happened. He cleared his throat as he looked away from her and tried his best to think about something else.

‘She’s killing me! Why of all the things she could do, biting her fucking lip is a turn on? Couldn’t be something else, literally anything fucking else?’

“I can leave if you’re that uncomfortable” Theo suggested pleasantly.

‘Don’t leave me alone with her! Are you mad?’

“No” Hermione quickly replied as she scooted back on the bed and crossed her legs under her. “It’s alright, it’s just…it’s stupid is all. I don’t really know how to ask.”

“Do you want him to kiss you?” Theo inquired with a smirk. “Cause I’m sure the raging hard on he has right now will definitely make him cream his pants if he does.”

“WHAT?” Draco shouted in surprise making Hermione glance over at him with a curious expression before unsubtly looking down at the feathered pillow in his lap.

‘Oh…my Gods! I take it back! Leave!’

“Please, you can’t hide it” Theo continued with a chuckle. “I saw it start to bake the minute she bit her lip.”

“Theo!” Draco angrily began through clenched teeth. “Shut-the fuck-up!”

“Why? She won’t remember this tomorrow anyway and you already said you stood naked in front of her, so what’s the big deal…besides your dick right now?” he blissfully laughed.

‘I’m going to kill you…I am going to fucking kill you’

“Oh, God, okay” Hermione interrupted as she quickly stood up and backed away from the bed. “I was just going to ask you to take me to the dance. I wasn’t expecting…all this” she chortled while pointing a finger back and forth between the Slytherin’s.

“But it got you to say the second condition” Theo smiled proudly. “You’re welcome…Now, if you can manage to contain little Malfoy for a few hours, Draco, we can head down to the library and try to figure something out before the exam starts.”

“I hate you!” Draco whispered, gritting his teeth in resentment.

“I love you too” Theo teased with a brilliant smile as he blew him a soft kiss off the tip of his fingers.

Hermione crossed her arms and watched the boys silently bicker as she bit her lip in amusement. But Theo caught the act and stopped arguing with Draco long enough to bit his own lip while trying to hold back a laugh.

“Don’t let Draco see that, Granger” he laughed into his hand. “You might get an insider’s look on what to expect when you two finally get together.

‘He is so fucking dead.’

Draco scrambled off the bed and punched Theo in the arm hard as Hermione’s face fell to shock and she quickly scurried to get out the door.

“You’re an arsehole!” Draco said as he smacked his friend upside the head.

Theo rubbed the back of his head with a pout before looking up to the blonde with displeasure radiating his face.

“Rude”

“What the fuck are you trying to do? That was embarrassing, Theo!”

“Yeah, well it got her to ask you to the dance, didn’t it?

“I never make it to the Ball, you daft prat! Didn’t you listen to a word I said?”

“I was listening…I just chose to ignore it. I was too busy thinking about how much you’re missing out by still being a virgin and that Granger is the perfect girl for you, but you’re too fucking scared to just admit you want her!”

“That doesn’t mean you have to tell her about…that!”

“What? You’re boner? She didn’t seem to care…she seemed flattered in fact. Though you didn’t notice because you were too busy yelling at me to see that she really freaking likes you. Why else would she ask you to take her to the Ball?”

“Because no one asked her…She told me before I kissed her the first time” Draco replied, slightly calmer.

“Draco, come on mate! She is a war heroine for Merlin’s sake, she could have anyone in this school take her, but she went alone. She went alone because she wanted to go with you, but apparently with everything you told us, you never wanted to go.”

“I-”

“Didn’t think about that?” Theo scoffed “Yeah, you seem to be doing that a lot lately.”

‘Dammit!’

Theo shook his head before walking out of the room, making Draco throw his head back in frustration before following his best friend out the door to meet Hermione waiting for them outside of the portrait entrance.

As the trio made their way to the library, Draco suddenly remembered the bludger incident and grabbed both Theo and Hermione’s arms to stop them from going any further while beads of sweat protruded from his forehead.

“What the- What’s wrong?” Hermione asked puzzled. “Malfoy?” she snapped her fingers in front of his face trying to get his attention.

“There’s bludgers flying around here” he gulped. “Last time I came here I got hit in the face with one. It killed me before I even knew it was there.”

“I don’t see any around, mate” Theo answered while he looked over the corridor cautiously.

“Why would Bludgers be roaming the halls?” Hermione asked as she brought out her wand from her messy bun.

“Same reason a Snitch is flying around down by the Great hall,” Draco spoke as he finally put two and two together “two Slytherin’s released them as a prank.”

“How do you know that?” Theo questioned as he too brought out his wand and scanned the hall carefully.

“Because I heard them on my seventh day in the dungeons when I tried and failed to get food from the kitchens…I didn’t think anything of it until now and I didn’t recognize them, but I think they were maybe third or fourth years.”

“Would you remember who they were, if you saw them again?” Hermione inquired while lowering her wand slightly.

“They caused one of my deaths, Granger. I can definitely identify them.”

“Okay, well, there aren’t any Bludgers here so maybe they were taken care of by a professor or a Prefect already” she claimed tucking the vine-wood back into her hair. “When did you visit the library last time?”

“Early…Maybe a few minutes after I woke up; they said something about seeing McGonagall’s face when she showed up” he replied while taking deep breaths to calm his nerves.

“Alright, so then they’re already taken care of. It’s been well over an hour since then” Theo stated as he pocketed his wand.

“Yeah, but one of the iron balls destroyed the library. We won’t be able to research anything.”

“Draco, the library is fine…Look” the brunette wizard claimed while pointing to the library doors. “Maybe because you weren’t here for the Bludger to attack, the ball never went into the room?”

“It’s possible” Hermione added “I mean if you think about it, all the places you died or got knocked out at, you weren’t there on the first day.”

“So?” Draco replied as he turned his gaze to the Gryffindor.

“So…That means you weren’t supposed to be there. All that stuff still happens, but because you interfered by being there when you were supposed to be somewhere else, it caused the timeline to shift.”

‘That…actually makes sense.’

“Okay, but I wasn’t here the first day either.”

“True, but you also didn’t have me with you. You only had Nott what, like twice…excluding the times I knocked you out, which if you would have told me sooner, wouldn’t have happened.”

“Ego large enough for you, Granger? Geez” Draco retorted with an eye roll.

“Mate, she’s right though” Theo cut in. “If you would have brought her in on the third day instead of all the guys, you probably would have figured this all out sooner.”

“But I wouldn’t have gained the Intel that I did, so…”

“Yet, you could have still found all that stuff out without-”

“Alright,” Hermione interrupted with a raised hand “can you both stop bickering long enough to try and figure this mess out? We need to go to the Restricted Section and I would rather us not get caught because you two won’t shut-it.”

“Granger, you’re Head Girl of our dorm” Theo stated. “You’re allowed access to that part of the library.”

“But you two dolts aren’t; and I would have to file a note to Professor McGonagall asking to give you permission to enter. Seeing as we are on a strict time limit here, I don’t really have time to do all of that. So, shut-up and take this!”

Hermione pulled a strange cloak out of the top of her shirt and handed it over to Theo before readjusting her bra…making Draco’s heart race as he stared wide eyed at the petite witch.

‘Kill me now…Just fucking kill me now and let it be permanent so I can stop wanting to snog the every-loving piss out of her!’

“Is this what I think it is?” Theo asked excitedly, bringing Draco back to reality before Hermione noticed he was staring at her plump, perfect hand grabbing sized breasts.

‘Merlin’s fucking saggy balls! Stop, Draco!’

“It’s Harry’s so don’t ruin it, alright? He’ll kill me if he knew I snitched it from his room before we left, so I have to put it back before he notices it’s missing in about an hour.”

“So, it is the infamous Invisibility Cloak!” Theo exclaimed with a broad smile. “I always wanted to be able to hold it and now here I am! This…this is a glorious moment…that I won’t even remember tomorrow” he frowned.

“If we can’t fix this mess today, then Malfoy here will remind me to let you hold it” Hermione softly smiled.

“Really?” the Slytherin pipped up.

“Yeah, Theo…I’ll be sure you get to hold it again.” Draco claimed with a shake of his head; amused at his friends’ reaction to holding one-third of the Deathly Hallows.

Theo folded in his lips as he grinned from ear to ear before unraveling the cloak and wrapping it around his body.

“Holy mother of Salazar, this is awesome!”

Hermione and Draco chuckled before Draco got under the invisible blanket and followed the Gryffindor Princess into the library. She spoke with the librarian, Irma Prince, who Draco still thought looked like an underfed vulture with her ‘resting bitch face’, before advancing towards the Restricted Section. Once the coast was clear, Draco ducked out from under the cloak while Theo only poked his head out.

“I…am never taking this off!” he claimed in a cheerful whisper while twirling his invisible body back and forth.

Hermione rolled her eyes before beginning to look for a specific title upon the dusty old shelves. Most of the books where chained as they were too dangerous for anyone, other than a professor, to open so Draco let the bookworm do her thing and took a seat at an empty disheveled table near the back of the aisle.

After a few minutes, Hermione came over to the table where Theo was still playing with the cloak and dropped three large tomes down.

“What the Centaur in the forest, are those! They’re huge!” Theo exclaimed a little too loudly as he took the Invisibly Cloak off his shoulders. “Sort of like Draco’s Brontosaurus earlier” he laughed to himself as Draco gave him a dirty look and Hermione just rolled her eyes with a huff.

‘If he brings my dick up one more time, I am going to choke him to death.’

“If you’re not going to help, Nott, then go down to breakfast and let us work in peace” Hermione stated in annoyance.

‘THANK YOU!’

“I wanna help!” the shaggy-haired wizard claimed quickly. “There is just no way I can read all of…that! Have you seen my grades, Granger? I am terrible at studying.”

‘It’s true.’

“Your grades aren’t that terrible, Nott…but if you really want to help…I might have an idea.”

“As long as it doesn’t involve me reading, I am all for it.”

“I-I don’t really think you’re going to like it” Hermione declared wearily.

“Bring-it-on” Theo smirked. “It’s hard to scare me off…like Draco’s dick!”

“Enough!” Draco ordered as he hit Theo in the arm with the back of his hand.

“Alright, geez; it was just a joke…Sorry.”

“Moving on,” Hermione began sternly while removing her wand from her hair once more and put up a silencing charm “how good are you at obtaining classified information?”

‘Oh no’

“I’m excellent at it, if I do say so myself”

‘Please no…Don’t leave me alone with her!’

“How would you like to go on a secret mission then?” Hermione mischievously smiled. “You can return Harrys’ cloak for me in the process.

‘No! Salazar, NO!’

Theo leaned his elbows onto the table with his lip slowly turning up into an evil grin as he rested his chin on his fists.

“Now, you’re speaking my language, Granger”

‘For the love of all things Slytherin…THEO!’ Draco shouted, pushing his thoughts into his friends mind; a feat he rarely ever did knowing how much Theo hated when he did so ‘Stop! I can’t be alone with her again!’

‘Get out of my head, Draco! I’m trying to listen to the plan your future girlfriend is concocting…Get it, con-cock-ting! Ha-ha-ha-ha…uhhhhh. That was a good one.’ Theo thought as he began to chuckle in his chair, making Hermione stop her suggested scheme, and glare at the boys perplexedly.

‘Enough of the games, mate, please; I can’t do this. I don’t know how to act around her!’

“Draco, just be yourself…Wait…Don’t do that, you’ll scare her off.’

“Are you guys even listening to me?” Hermione asked while leaning on to the table, but when neither of the Slytherin’s responded, she knew they were tuning her out.

‘I’m serious, Theo. I can’t…I-I can’t breathe when I see her, let alone be by myself with her. I-I’m afraid I might do something stupid like I’ve been doing all week…day…all day, repeatedly.’

‘All I keep hearing are the words, “I can’t”. How about instead of being a selfish git worrying about what you might or might not do, you just act on your feelings?’

“Hello” Hermione stated while waving a hand in front of the boys who were looking down and completely ignoring her.

‘I’m scared to let her in. Don’t you get it? I am openly admitting to being afraid? Do you even know how hard that is for me to admit?’

‘I do…So be afraid… Theo thought as he slowly looked up from the table and directly into Draco’s eyes ‘and then do it anyway.’ he finished as he pushed Draco out of his head and closed his off his mind.

“What does that even mean?” Draco said aloud when he couldn’t get back into Theo’s head.

“Were you two just having a conversation without me?” Hermione angrily demanded. “If you don’t want my help then just say it now, and I will happily go meet my friends for breakfast while I figure out my-damn-self who is out to get me!”

“No!” Theo announced while turning his gaze quickly to her. “It was nothing…Just…I’m sorry. What’s your plan…I’m all ears.”

Hermione pressed her lips together in annoyance as she furrowed her brows and studied the brunette before her, contemplating on if he was actually going to listen this time. All the while Draco crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, clearly unhappy at the turn of events.

“I’m listening, Granger. I promise” Theo added when the bookworm didn’t speak for a moment.

“Okay” she sighed, finally giving in. “Well, I was thinking…”

XX

About ten minutes later, Hermione finished writing names on a small scroll of parchment before sliding it over to Theo who looked at it curiously.

“So, just to confirm…You want me to break into each of these rooms and see if I can find any incriminating evidence that will prove who is responsible for tampering with your potion?” Theo questioned as he continued to look the list over. “Cornwell, Stoll, Blaise, Pansy, Boot, aaand…Longbottom, isn’t he your friend? And aren’t Stoll and Cornwell Hufflepuff’s? They don’t seem like the type to mess with someone’s potion. Blaise and Pansy sure wouldn’t, that would fuck with their image and when it comes to those two, ‘image' is everything.”

“Yes, but we can’t leave any stone unturned. Everyone is a suspicious until proven innocent and seeing as Malfoy already crossed Ron and Lavender off the list, those are the remaining suspects.”

“What about Potter or girl Weasley…or the rest of the seventh-years in that class?” Theo asked, looking up from the parchment in his hand.

“Potter isn’t even a thought” Draco claimed, finally speaking after his little argument with Theo earlier. “Just trust me. He defended me when Weasley and Brown were locked up and Weaslette is Grangers’ female best friend. The last thing she would want to do is piss off Hermione. If anything, she would hex the person responsible with her famous Bat-boggy hex. That is not a spell you want to be on the receiving end of, I promise you that. And as for the random seventh-years…I’ve got nothing. We’ll just assume they are not responsible unless everyone else on that list is crossed off.”

“Ohh-kay” Hermione blinked in confusion as she looked at Draco with a raised brow. ‘Fuck, I did it again. I said her damn first name!’ “Uh well, Nott, you have about an hour and a half to sneak into each room before the exam starts. Problem is…most of the eighth-years will be in the common room right about now.”

“How am I supposed to break in then? Everyone will obviously see me if I return the cloak! And even if I didn’t return the thing and used it instead, everyone will see me opening doors!”

“Not if you’re small” Hermione ticked with a smirk “and seeing as you haven’t been able to figure out your animagus form yet, which would take too long anyway, plus it’s illegal without a license…”

“You want to transfigure me, don’t you?” Theo asked worryingly. “Please, whatever you do, don’t make me a ferret! I’m still traumatized from when Draco was turned into one and put down Goyles’ pants fourth year by fake Professor Moody! Shite haunts my dreams…” he shuddered.

“Haunts your dreams?” Draco cut in. “How do you think I feel?”

“Well at least you’re not repeating that day over and over again…I feel for you” Theo chortled while holding a hand to his chest.

“Alright” Hermione interrupted with a shake of her head “we won’t do a ferret…I think I might have a better animal in mind anyway.”

Hermione pointed her vine wood wand at Theo’s face before uttering the incantation needed to transform the Slytherin. Theo’s body slowly started to shift in odd directions as his body shrunk before their eyes. Once the transfiguration was complete, Draco leaned over and picked up his best friend off the chair to set him onto the table.

“Well, if anyone does see you,” he began with a chuckle “you might want to prepare yourself to being locked in a cage as a pet for the rest of your life” he laughed while poking Theo’s round chipmunk belly with his index finger. “All the ladies are going to swoon over you. I have to admit though you are actually quite cute in this form. Maybe we should keep you like this forever.”

Chipmunk Theo apparently wasn’t happy about the animal Hermione had picked for him or the fact Draco and Hermione where giggling at him like a couple of school girls, and quickly bit Draco’s finger in anger while adorably scowling afterwards.

“Bloody hell, Theo!” Draco stated in shock and displeasure as he pulled his hand back quickly. “Why you little-

“Malfoy!” Hermione jumped in and quickly picked Theo up to stop Draco from attacking his rodent friend. “He’s a baby chipmunk right now! You can’t just go attacking him, you could really hurt him in this form.”

“You know what?” he claimed backing up and holding his hands in the air. “I’m not even mad. He’s too lovable looking to get mad at right now and I will definitely be holding this over his head for years to come.”

Theo stuck his little tongue out at Draco before cuddling up to Hermione’s left thumb just to spite his blonde friend as the curly haired witch lightly pet his head with a smile. Draco pressed his tongue against his cheek in annoyance as he glared at the chipmunk with distaste.

“If you two are done with this extremely awkward petting session, can we move this along? We don’t exactly have a lot of time.”

“Right” Hermione giggled in embarrassment as she stopped scratching Theo’s belly and set him gently back onto the table.

Hermione quickly folded up the feather light cloak before tying it around Theo’s furry belly and put him on the floor. He scampered off out of the library as Hermione sat down and began looking at Draco in a serious manner.

“Okay, so…” she began as Draco took his seat and the pair started opening two of the books to begin their research “let’s start from the beginning. I need you to remember specifically what you said when I interrupted you during class. I also need to you fully recite the list of ingredients used to make the potion and exactly what your wish was.”

“Granger, I already deduced that the ingredients were not the problem. It was the incantation but I can’t really recall what I said. As for the wish…I don’t know which one the potion took into effect. Well I know it wasn’t the Manor but the other two…”

“What was your wish Malfoy? I need to know everything if I am going to be able to help you.”

Draco ran his tongue across the inside of his bottom lip as he strongly considered not revealing his secret to the girl he was beginning to adore more than anything. He had finally come to the conclusion though, that no matter what he did or said, the Golden girl in front of him would still like him in the end. He was merely embarrassed that he had to admit what partially got him into this mess in the first place.

“You” he mumbled under his breath.

“Pardon?” she asked leaning an ear slightly closer to hear him better.

“You” he repeated a little louder. “I first wished to fix your potion before wishing to fix everything…for you.”

Hermione sucked in a deep breath before biting the tip of her tongue with her folded in lips.

“Oh…Okay well…Uh, I think we can figure that out. I don’t really know what it is that you can fix for me but I’m sure we can think of something.”

As the Golden girl continued to talk and look through the book in front of her, a flashback burst to the forefront of Draco’s mind causing him to stare unseeingly in front of him.

“I didn’t have a date…” Hermione confessed while looking down at her hands. “First Lavender insults me, which normally I would brush off, but for some odd reason today of all days, it really bothered me. Then Ginny tells me this metal news that I am still trying to process, Neville is having girl problems, and Ron…well Ron always has something going on, and then my potion gets ruined,” She turned her head to him “which I know you didn’t do and it’s unfair that you were forbidden from attending the Ball.”

“Malfoy? Are you okay?” Hermione asked as she stopped looking through the book and gazed at him with worry.

“You already told me what to fix…” he uttered in a whisper.

“What?

“The night I first kissed you” he continued, raising his stormy ocean grey eyes up to hers. “That night you told me why you left the Ball early…You already told me what needs to be fixed.”

“Oh-kay…what did I say?”

“I have to help your friends on top of fixing your potion!” he exclaimed standing up excitingly, startling Hermione for a moment before his face fell, and he slowly sat back down. “Fuck! I have to help your friends.”

‘Story of my life’

“That’s not such a bad thing” she replied softly.

“It is when you’re me…I know how to help Weasley, which is going to be tricky, and Weaslette…but how am I supposed to help Longbottom? You only said he had girl problems.”

‘Which just so happens to be something I’m good at fixing’

“I told you that?” she asked leaning against the table in surprise.

“You would be surprised at what people have voluntarily told me these last few repeated days. So what girl is Longbottom having trouble with?”

“I-I don’t really know actually” she admitted while sitting back in her seat. “He only said he’s having girl problems and he just briefly told me yesterday…Oh! Harry would know! Neville tells him everything!”

“Perfect…So, here’s how this is gonna go...I help Potter and his girl first and get Potter to tell me how to help Longbottom…then I’ll help Longbottom and he will tell me how to help Weasley. Then all I need to do is figure out how to get him to let me help before trying to find a way to stop your exam from getting destroyed.”

“But you said you already knew how to help Ron” she questioned confused.

“I do know how, but I need a little more information first before going through with my plan. It just so happens, that Longbottom has the specific piece of the puzzle that I’m missing. However, he won’t just come out and tell me, so I’ll have to gain his trust first. Weasley is really my only hurdle but if I can get the information that I need, it shouldn’t be too hard to not only help him…but Theo as well.”

“I wish I could help you there, but Ron is a tough biscuit to crack when it comes to you.”

“I figured that one out pretty much myself.”

“Okay, so you’ll start with Harry and Ginny, who will tell you how to help Neville, who will then tell you how to help Ron which…will also help you help Nott?”

“Yes”

“Great, let’s move on then to the incantations before searching for side effects, dangers, etcetera.”

“Desiderio tuo revelare to activate the potion and…I think Repetit Forma to cancel it. That’s the one you cut me off on.”

“Repetit Forma…Repetit for, no,” she shook her head as she continued to think “Repetit…Rep-e-ti- Oh my God!”

“What?” Draco questioned as he sat up right in his chair and looked at Hermione with hopefulness.

“Draco, you daft nitwit!” she claimed as she stood up, reached across the table, and smacked him on top of the head with a small roll of parchment.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” he asked in shock while holding the top of his head with his hand.

‘Wait...Did she just call me Draco?’

“You said repeat…on a wishing potion, causing your day to repeat itself until you fulfill the wish, you imbecile!” she whacked him over the head again. “You can’t do anything to get out of it until you complete the wish entirely!”

“Can you stop hitting me? Merlin, do you really need to berate me for something that wasn’t even my fault? You’re the one who cut me off to try and blame me for ruining your damn potion in the first place!”

“Well, I wouldn’t have had to blame you if you wouldn’t have argued with me like you said you did!”

“I can’t help that it was funny that you spilled your Nightshade…Wait a second…you spilled your Nightshade” Draco stated as the cogs in his mind began to turn.

‘Holy mother of Salazar!’

“So?”

“Granger, each time you knock your elbow into that ingredient, you bend down to clean it up. And I never looked at you or in your direction when you did so.”

“You think…Godric, it makes sense” she began as she sat down and stared unseeingly at the table. “Whoever added the Fluxweed must have somehow snuck it into my potion when I bent down.”

Hermione quickly stood back up and began searching frantically through the large book in front of her as Draco rested a hand on the table, studying her; completely mesmerized by her incense focus ability. He always thought she was pretty for a muggle-born, especially when she was nose deep in a book, but something about the way she was helping him, made Draco look at her completely different. She wasn’t just the typical pretty bookworm he had grown up with anymore or even the in your face know-it-all he had tormented for years…she was beautiful…and he now found himself wanting to tell her just how much he liked her…every single day.

‘So be afraid…and then do it anyway…Fucking Theo, man I love that prat sometimes.’

“I want to take you out” he stated firmly as he stared intently at the girl researching page after page for a specific passage.

“What?” she questioned curiously as she slowly raised her chocolate brown eyes to his. “Like to the dance? You’ll take me?” she smiled softly.

“If I ever get out of this hellish nightmare…yes, I’ll take you…but that’s not what I meant.”

“Oh…what did you mean then?”

Draco lowered his eyes as he tapped his fingers on the table, thinking strongly about his next words, before leaning in and gazing up at her.

“Granger, you’re beautiful…do you know that?”

“I-uh-um-I mean uh…t-thank you” she stuttered with a small smile on her lips as her cheeks flushed crimson.

“Don’t thank me, just know that it’s true” he leaned back and crossed his arms. “And if you forget tomorrow, or even the next day, or the day after that, I will remind you each and every time until you remember. But I don’t want to stop once you do. I want to take you out…on a date…a real date, wherever you want to go.”

“I…I-I don’t know what to say” she claimed, staring at him in shock.

“Say yes, Hermione. I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

Hermione gazed into Draco’s eyes as her breath caught and her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. It felt like forever to Draco as he waited nervously for an answer, but it was only seconds until she finally spoke.

“O-okay…”

“Okay?”

“Yes…I’ll go on a date with you” she smiled shyly before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear while biting down on her lower lip.

“Stop it” Draco spoke in deliberation as his face froze in fear.

“Sorry” Hermione replied quickly as she released her lip and looked back down at the book like nothing had happened, however a small contented smile continued to play on her lips making Draco feel like Christmas had come early.

Meanwhile, across the schools’ halls, Theo was in shambles as his trek back to the eighth-year common room was filled with adventures he never thought he would ever have to endure in his life. He was relatively close to getting stepped on numerous times, almost seen by the Herbology Professor, Sprout, and was kicked by some Ravenclaw who mistook him for a rabid squirrel; which in itself was rather ironic.

The worst part however, was getting man-handled or in his case, chipmunk-handled, by some first year Hufflepuff wanting to remove the cloak tied to him, and keep him as a pet she would later name Mr. Pudgy. Luckily his little teeth were able to nip her hand hard enough for the girl to drop him and he immediately scampered off before she found him again.

Theo as a human was rather skinny, which he was proud of, considering how much he ate on a daily bases, but Theo as a chipmunk for some odd reason, was a chubby looking thing that made it very difficult to squeeze his little butt underneath doors.

He surprisingly got lucky enough however, that Pansy and Blaise were entering the common room when he arrived and he didn’t have to wait for someone to let him in. It didn’t take him long to sneak around and put Harrys’ cloak back into his room, after nibbling the crap out of the string Hermione had tied to him, and search the dorms of the listed suspects. He found all sorts of juicy details about the people he shared a living space with, but nothing prepared him for the shock of his life when he decided to waste the extra time he had spying on Lavender Brown.

Draco had told Theo what they had done to lock the Gryffindor and her boyfriend in her room, but he wanted to see for himself what the wench did when no one was looking. All the while he hoped he could find some dirt on her to tell Draco later.

He waited patiently by Draco’s bedroom for his moment to sneak in, after finishing his search in Terry Boots’ dorm, when he saw Ron and Lavender snogging disgustingly on the couch below.

‘Oh, gross! That’s my spot! That bastard just so happened to “forget” to mention this vile activity to me! I can never sit there again!...Oh, but it was such a good spot too. Freaking vermin; always ruining a good thing!”

Theo shook his little animal head in revulsion and was about to run across the hall to Lavender’s room when the couple stood up from the couch and began walking up the stairs. He attempted to make himself even smaller so he wouldn’t be seen, and watched carefully as the duo made their way into her quarters.

Quickly scurrying as fast as his four little legs could go, Theo made it to his destination and began to wedge himself under her door. Half way through however, his butt got stuck and he had to push his hind legs against the ground as he wiggled hard before finally making it through.

‘Merlin’s testicles, I need to exercise more!’

Immediately after entering, he ran under her queen-size bed in the center of the room, and listened to the couple above him; praying they wouldn’t start having sex with him there, otherwise his little tummy wouldn’t be able to keep the snacks he had chewed through in Blaise’s room, down.

Whatever they were talking about though, seemed completely uninteresting to Theo, so he decided to instead snoop at the random objects under the mattress. There wasn’t much to find unfortunately, just some old candy wrappers he assumed were from Ron, and a large wooden box; well at least to a chipmunk it was large. Curious, Theo reached his tiny arms up and jumped, grabbing the edge of the top of the box, and began pulling himself painfully up as his little feet scrapped against the wood in assistance.

‘At least I am getting a work out in…Granger better scratch my fucking belly again after this!’

He peered over the side as he held himself up, but quickly let go of the edge when he discovered the box was filled with sex toys, he would have given anything to have rather not seen.

“OH GODS! MY BABY EYES! WHY? OH, SALAZAR WHY? EWE, EWE, EWE, I TOUCHED THE BOX, I TOUCHED IT! I HAVE TO BURN MY WITTLE PAWS NOW! MERLIN’S BEARD, WHY ME?” he screamed as he looked at his hands with wide eyes.

Fortunately, his yelling only came out as tiny squeaks that the couple didn’t seem to hear over their conversation, and he released a sigh of relief. However, Ron suddenly walked to the door after telling Lavender he would be right back, so Theo ran to the edge of the bed and watched the harpy through the long mirror in front of her. She waited until the door clicked closed before reaching under her pillow into a charmed pocket and pulled out a black and white moving photo. From the position under the bed, Theo couldn’t see what the photo was, but she began kissing the image and caressing the outline of whoever was in it, affectionately.

Disgusted by the action, Theo was about to leave when Ron began opening the door again, causing Lavender to drop the unframed picture to the ground. She swiftly kicked it under her bed, almost hitting Theo in the face before welcoming her boyfriend back.

Inquisitiveness filled Theo’s little brain, so he slowly crawled to the face down picture and flipped it over with his nose. Yet the person in the photo was not someone he ever thought he would see and shock and confusion made him freeze in place with his mouth hung wide open.

‘Oh-my-fairy dust sprinkled over a rainbow bridge in July! It’s Draco! She was kissing a picture of Draco fucking Malfoy!’


	8. Class is in Session

Chapter 8- Class is in Session

Friday October 29th, 1999 11:20am

Draco sat frozen in his chair as he stared at Hermione in concern and despair while the brunette’s lips fell into sadness.

‘Is she serious right now? She better be fucking joking!’

“Hold on, hold on, just…wait a damn second” he began, leaning forward and holding up a hand. “You mean to tell me, that I could die? Like actually die and not come back?”

“That’s what the book says” Hermione replied gently. “You’re limited on the amount of days you can relive. The more often you die or are knocked out, the more strain it puts on your body until…until it can’t handle it anymore.”

“So, for all we know, the next time I die…I could permanently stay dead? This is what you are telling me?” he inquired as she stood up and furrowed his brows while clenching his fists tightly. “I die walking down fucking steps; like some force is trying to kill me! I can’t walk out of my damn room without something bad happening to me!”

“Malfoy, I-I’m sorry. I don’t really know what else to tell you. I-I think whatever is happening is trying to get you to go back to the right path. The one you originally took the first day. You have to figure out how to fulfill the wish without straying too far off the timeline or…”

“Or what, Granger?”

“Or it most likely wants you to take a certain route that differs slightly from the first day. Think about it, you have to apparently help all these people but still do the same things you did before. Maybe instead of hiding out in your room for hours, you can use that time to fix the situations that involve the wish.”

“Okay…that makes sense. But what if-…What-what the hell is that noise?” Draco questioned as he stopped talking and began to look around for the small growling sound he was hearing.

Hermione glanced around the room as well before crouching down to look under the table. There, tugging and pulling at the bottom of Draco’s black trousers with his teeth, was chipmunk Theo trying to get the Slytherin’s attention. However, before Hermione could stand back up, Theo nipped at Draco’s ankle causing the blonde to yelp loudly as he quickly pulled his leg back and almost fell over the chair behind him.

“What the bloody hell!” Draco shouted as he looked down at an angry chipmunk shaking his tiny fist up at him.

Hermione took out her wand and rushed around the table before pointing it at the animal and quickly turned Theo back into his normal self. For a moment though, Theo froze with his fist still out in front of him as small bits of food and candy fell from his mouth.

“Merlin, Theo!” Draco began as he brushed the non-existent wrinkles from his white shirt. “You couldn’t have found a better way to get my attention? Or better yet, get Granger’s? Salazar! Wait…Is that-did you stop and grab food from the Great Hall on your way back?”

“Maybe…” Theo mumbled through his full mouth. “I was hungry and apparently my cheeks had these pockets inside that I could store things in and-”

“Seriously?” Draco asked in annoyance. “None of us have eaten yet! We are on a time limit here and I just found out I could permanently die, but you just couldn’t wait and had to make a pit stop?”

“I had some extra time to kill” Theo replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Did you find out anything, Nott?” Hermione questioned gently while putting her wand back into her hair.

Theo’s eyes grew wide as a large smile formed on his lips.

“Oh, my lovely virgins…You will not believe what I found!” he exclaimed as he pulled a donut out of his robe pocket and took a large bite.

“How the hell did you manage to get a donut in your pocket when you weren’t wearing any clothes?” Hermione questioned with a raised brow.

“I alwiz cawe foo in my pawket” he said with his mouth full of powdered donut.

“That’s disgusting” Hermione claimed with a crinkled nose.

“Ayway, I-”

“Please swallow before you speak, Theo. I am sure Hermione doesn’t want to see how you digest food.”

“Sowwy” Theo stated before swallowing the food in a big gulp. “Okay so…” he began speaking quickly. “I was roaming the rooms and I got stuck a few times, but that’s beside the point,” he took another bite of the donut without thinking, causing Draco to sigh and roll his eyes. “…and I fowd out Basie and Pans are wrealy in wove, Boot is defwinly nowt a wesron,” he swallowed sharply before taking another bite “Weswee has swelf-estweem isswues, Lonbotum had wuxeed on his fwor, Stowl woves pworn, corwells woom is welly pwik, and-”

‘I can’t take it anymore’

“Stop, stop, stop!” Draco declared with his hands up while taking a step closer to his friend. “We can’t understand a word you are saying! Finish your damn donut first or put it down before opening your mouth!”

Theo looked to his friend with wide eyes before looking down sadly at the donut in his hand and slowly putting it back into his pocket.

“Wait, what’s wrong with Ron? And what’s a wesron?” Hermione asked with a raised hand in confusion.

Wiping his lips, Theo turned to the Gryffindor with a smirk radiating off his lips.

“If I have to repeat all that then I want another belly rub in return” he requested with crossed arms.

“What?” Draco yelled as Hermione stared at Theo with shock emitting from her eyes.

“Have you never had your belly scratched before?” Theo asked innocently. “That shite is amazing! I’m telling you, get yourself a dame who is willing to do it!”

‘Does he like her? He better not fucking like her!’

“Nott, I’m not rubbing your stomach” Hermione chuckled.

“Awe, but it was so much fun! You reached places I didn’t even know could be scratched! It’s no wonder animals love it so much. All that hair really makes you itchy after a while.”

Hermione burst out laughing as Draco furrowed his brows and clenched his fists at his side in anger. A low growl emitted from his throat causing Hermione to instantly stop giggling and Theo’s smile to quickly fall as he realized he had taken the joke too far.

‘This bastard thinks I don’t know what he’s doing? He clearly thinks that because I’ve been too much of a coward to admit my feelings that he can just swoop in and try to take her from me? He’s in for a rude awakening if he thinks he can woo my girl!’

“Alright” Hermione cut in through the tension that was building as Draco began to snarl at his best friend. “Okay, let’s just all calm down. He wasn’t serious Malfoy, and I’m sure if he was, it’s not like I would really do it. It’s one thing to scratch an animals’ belly; it’s completely different when it’s a human.”

‘I don’t care what anyone says, she is mine and no one is going to take her from me!’

“He better be fucking joking” Draco declared as he crossed his arms, his glare never leaving the brown-haired Slytherin in front of him.

“It was just a joke, mate. No need to Avada me with your eyes. I wouldn’t do that to you…I wouldn’t do that to anyone.”

‘You’re damn right you wouldn’t!’

“Malfoy…Draco,” Hermione began cautiously when the blonde refused to look away. She took a few steps over to him and gently touched his arm, snapping him out of his hatred induced stare, and turning his attention to her “he was just kidding. He didn’t mean it. I am sure he wouldn’t do something to purposely hurt you.”

‘What the hell is wrong with me? Theo is your best mate, you prat, and you were about to attack him over a girl? A girl you just got to say yes to going out with you! Calm your fucking self or you’ll scare her off!’

“Why don’t we just figure out what he discovered and move on, okay?”

Theo continued to stare at Draco in shock as his chest rose and fell heavily in fear. Draco was aware his friend knew what he was capable of and the things he did for the Dark Lord. He would never actually physically hurt Theo, but the fact that he showed his defensive side, like Voldemort himself was trying to take Hermione away, apparently scared the crap out of his wizard mate. He began to feel like a complete prick for terrifying Theo the way that he did, so he relaxed his shoulders and unclenched his fists before running his fingers through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Theo…I-I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s-It’s alright…Look, I get it, but you know I would never do something like that to you. I wouldn’t hit on a girl you fancy. I was just messing around, trying to include her. If I took it too far, I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t take anything too far, Nott. Draco is apparently just overly protective, I guess.”

“Shite, I scared her off! Fuck!’

“It’s not like that!” Draco admitted in frustration.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I’m just pointing it out. You’re loyal…I like loyalty in a person” she admitted as she smiled softly.

“Yeah?” he asked in relief.

“Yeah…” she smiled a little wider.

“Uhhh…So if you two are done with this very special moment I’m sure you’re having,” Theo interrupted “can we talk about why you women have bright, vomit inducing, colored rooms? First Lavender’s looks like a fairy shat all over it and Cornwell’s looks like a pink Pygmy Puff exploded on the walls!”

“My room is nothing like that” Hermione insisted as she turned her focus to Theo, making Draco suddenly feel different inside.

“Oh, I know! I took a peek in your dorm as well. Not bad by the way…the red is subtle and the gold isn’t half bad.”

“You went into my room!” she yelled as she smacked him in the arm.

“I told you, I had some time to kill!” he chortled as he recoiled. “I didn’t snoop, I only stuck my head in for a second.”

“Well did you find anything in Sadie’s dorm?” she asked after smacking him playfully again.

“Just a lot of pink, oh wait! I did find some copies of some tests but I don’t know if they were new or old or how she even got them. I did also find some interesting things in everyone else’s room as well. Blaise and Pansy have really creepy pictures of each other being all lovey dovey, Stoll apparently has a large and very interesting magazine collection…I think I might have to ask to borrow some. Wait, no; I don’t want to find pages stuck together because he missed a spot with a cleaning charm.”

“Oh, gross, mate!” Draco claimed with a curled lip.

“Hey, I’m not the one sticking the pages together with my love juice!”

“Please stop” Draco insisted as he rested his forehead in his hand.

“Anyway, um…oh, I found a pair of women’s knickers in Boots room so we know he’s definitely not a virgin, Weasley apparently has a self-help book titled ‘How to woo your Witch; Ten easy steps to make her fall in love.”

“You memorized the book title?” Hermione questioned with a raised brow.

“I memorize a lot of useless things” he replied in a serious manner before chuckling softly. “K, what else…Potter didn’t really have anything fun to look at but I did find traces of Fluxweed on Longbottom’s floor. Wasn’t that the ingredient you said was added to Granger’s potions?”

“Wait, you found Fluxweed in Neville’s room?” Hermione asked in surprise. “There has to be some mistake! Neville would never do something like that to anyone, let alone me!”

Draco looked to Hermione who took a seat in shock and thought strongly about marching down to the common room to give Neville a piece of his mind. Though, her sadden features made him realize that Hermione was absolutely distraught over the news, making him want to comfort her instead of beating the bloody pulp out of her friend. He knew however, that Neville was too caring of a person to pull something so heinous; even if it was to get back at Draco for making his life hell, and there was no way the Gryffindor Herbology lover would ever harm a hair on Hermione’s head.

“I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for this, Hermione. Longbottom doesn’t seem like the type, something’s not right about it.”

“Well, all I know,” Theo continued, “was that it was there on his floor in front of his bed. So he either has a great excuse, someone planted it there, or Longbottom is the culprit. By the way,” he turned his focus to Draco “completely off topic, but did you know Brown has a thing for you?”

“WHAT?” Hermione and Draco both shouted in unison.

“Oh-my-Merlin…do I have a story for you!”

XX

“THAT NO GOOD CHEATING SLUTTY SLAG!” Hermione shouted as she stood up in anger; her fists clenched at her sides as her cheeks turned a fiery red. “She knows how I feel about Draco! I’ll hex her! I’ll hex her into oblivion! This whole time she’s been hoping to get with him, ruin Ron, and pay me back for embarrassing her in sixth year!”

“Don’t forget that she is blackmailing Theo too” Draco cockily added.

“Draco!” Theo expressed in surprise. “What the hell, mate?”

“You told her about my boner…It’s only fair” he shrugged with a smirk.

“That…That…” Hermione began as the boys watched her try and think of an insult fitting for Lavender Brown while her hair began to crackle in fury. “Ugh, that daft…worthless…BITCH!”

Theo and Draco both looked at Hermione in shock as they stood motionless with their mouths slightly open. Theo slowly turned his eyes to Draco whose arms were now crossed, and glanced back and forth between the two in utter disbelief, while confusion filled every inch of his mind.

‘What…the…hell? She curses?’

“I-I think Granger might actually have you beat in the overly protective department” Theo stated, still in awe from hearing Hermione’s tirade.

‘I don’t know if this is hot…or terrifying…or both’

“Uhh…Yeah” Draco replied in bewilderment as his brow arched and his wide eyes continued to stare at the witch who was still yelling about Lavender. “Yeah, I’d have to say so…”

“So about that wedding…”

“Oh shut-it!” Draco snapped while Theo began to chuckle into his hand before walking to the other side of the table and placed himself in front of Hermione.

The Gryffindor raised her fierce hatred filled eyes to him, making Draco a little scared himself as to what the bookworm would do the girl once she laid eyes on her. Without thinking, Draco raised his hands and cupped both sides of Hermione’s face, forcing her to focus on him.

“Hermione…It’s okay. We’ll find a way to get her back, but there is no need to hex the girl” Hermione began to open her mouth to continue her rant but Draco simply shook his head to stop her. “In case by some miracle, we fix my problem today, we don’t need you getting in trouble because of her. I have a plan to out her so don’t worry, alright?” she nodded her head but Draco could still see the anger emitting from her brown eyes. “If it helps, even if you weren’t in the picture, I would never want her. But you are in the picture…and I only want you, okay? No one else…Just…you.”

Hermione’s gaze began to soften, making Draco smile as he melted into her. He leaned down to kiss her, to seize the moment where she would willingly kiss him back, when Theo decided to interrupt.

“Sooo cute, but we have class in like ten minutes so if we can figure out what to do about Longbottom, that’d be great.”

“Seriously, mate?” Draco demanded in irritation while removing his hands from Hermione’s face.

“You’ll have plenty of time for a third first kiss after we fix this mess! I don’t know about Granger here, but I would very much like to remember today for once, thank you!” Theo replied throwing his hands in the air. “And I’m preeaatty sure she would like her first kiss with you to not be in the Restricted section of the library with me watching, so let’s get a move on mates! We’ve got people to do and things to see!”

“Don’t you mean people to see and things to do?” Hermione asked with a raised brow.

“No…No, I like my way better. Seems like more fun” he chortled.

12:33pm

After Professor Slughorn finished his speech, the class stood up to collect their ingredients. Draco looked to Theo who nodded his head before looking to Hermione taking in a deep breath. Quickly winking at her, causing her to blush, Draco walked over to the closet to collect his and Hermione’s ingredients so she wouldn’t have to leave her station. He watched carefully with his arms crossed as the students filed out of the small room and studied each and every one of the contents in their hands before walking in to gather what he needed.

Once he was finished, Neville turned his head slightly and smiled at Draco as he reached up to put the vile of Goblins Blood back on the shelf, but the blonde smirked when the dolt once again, spilled the contents all over the floor. Taking that moment, Draco scanned the room for the Fluxweed powder and surprisingly noticed that none could be found. He raised a brow in confusion before turning around and stepped over the blood.

Quickly putting the ingredients on the table, he handed Hermione the Nightshade she was to spill later while leaning in to whisper to her.

“There’s no Fluxweed in the closet. Slughorn must have it stored elsewhere.”

“It makes sense…After I made the Polyjuice potion in second year they probably locked away all ingredients to make it. Also, you can only collect it under a full moon, otherwise it’s useless, so unless they buy it, it’s rather impossible to procure.”

“You made Polyjuice in second year? But I thought you were terrible at potions?” Draco whispered with a furrowed brow.

“I’m only a few points behind you, Draco! Give me some credit!” she retorted.

“You know, I like it when you say my name” he winked causing Hermione to bite her lip in retaliation. “Stop!”

“Stop winking at me then!”

“No-”

“Guys!” Theo cut in with a whisper as he leaned over his table. “Focus! You can get it on later; right now we are on a mission!”

“Why are we friends?” Draco asked with a shake of his head. “You have no filter.”

“Because you love me; I’m the closest thing to a brother that you have, so you’re stuck with me.”

“I don’t know” Hermione interrupted with a chuckle “I like that fact that he’s not scared to say what’s on his mind” she shrugged.

“Says the one who’s not been on the receiving end of his jokes since we were five” Draco admitted with an eye roll while he leaned away from the Gryffindor.

“Are you done with this very awkward threesome?” Blaise interjected in annoyance. “If so, I’d like to get back to my exam, please. Some of us are actually trying to pass this class.”

“You don’t need to get an O on this exam to pass this class, Zabini” Hermione said as a matter of fact. “Your grade is just as good as mine and Draco’s.”

‘She is right’

“So then why do you keep getting upset when your potion gets ruined?” Draco whispered so only Hermione could hear him.

The bookworm tilted her head and furrowed her brows as she gave Draco a confused look.

“Have you met me?”

The Slytherin Prince licked his lips before folding them in when he realized who he was talking to.

“Yeah okay, you’re right”

‘Again’

Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement before turning her focus back to her potion. Theo chuckled softly and went back to dividing his ingredients, please by the progress in the two’s relationship. Blaise raised a brow at the pair in front of him before leaning in to whisper to Draco.

“Since when does she call you Draco?” he questioned in shock, but Draco simply chuckled and shook his head before turning back around.

‘Just wait until you find out I asked her on a date…AND she said yes.’

01:42pm

Over the next hour and a half of class, the plan to watch Neville went relatively smooth. Theo watched the Herbology lover like a hawk as Hermione purposely knocked her Nightshade to the ground and bent down to clean it up. Draco bent down to help her, which was something he hadn’t done the first two times, when something green caught his eye above Hermione. He looked up to see grounded Fluxweed falling from thin air into the Gryffindor’s cauldron. To anyone else it was almost invisible but due to his keen eye from being a previous seeker, he could see the small flecks clear as day.

Quickly looking around the room he studied every student, each of whom were all nose deep in their own potions, before his eyes landed on Neville looking dejected at the disaster in front of him. Hermione stood up and dusted off her hands before stirring her potion clock wise.

‘There’s no way he did it…But then why did he have Fluxweed on his bedroom floor?’

“Hermione stop” Draco uttered as he rose from the floor and grabbed her wrist.

He covertly pointed to the green traces around her station making her eyes go wide and her lips part slightly before she whipped her head to him in surprise.

“Ho-how?”

Draco discretely pointed upwards before leaning over and whispered to her.

“Someone charmed it to sprinkle in from above you, but I don’t think it was Longbottom. He’s terrible at charms and that was a precision drop; plus he’s almost in tears at his mess of a potion” he claimed while quickly pointing to Neville with his chin. “And I know what you’re gonna ask and the answer is I don’t know. Either someone is setting him up or…or he’s working with another person.”

“What should we do?” she questioned after taking in a deep breath.

“I say we confront him, but in front of Slughorn. If we get a Professor to witness it, then it prevents us from having to explain and provide proof later all while putting him on the spot.”

“Draco, that’s a long shot and I really don’t think Neville is working with anyone. He wouldn’t do this, let alone have someone else do it to me.”

“He didn’t do it” Theo muttered softly, making Hermione and Draco turn their heads to him. “I was watching him the whole time. He hasn’t even touched his wand or bothered to look up at anyone.”

“We can’t confront him, Draco. That would embarrass him and I know he’s not responsible.”

“I’m doing it” Draco stated firmly but kept his voice low. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this whether you like my methods or not. I am sick of repeating this stupid day and I really don’t want to have to convince you to go out with me again because it turns out, I really fucking like you. And if I’m going to continue to be honest, I’m scared shitless that one of these echoing days you’re going to change your mind while I am stuck caring for someone who only liked the idea of being with me.” Theo, Hermione, and Blaise stared at Draco speechless with wide eyes and open mouths as he spoke his confession with determination. “We’re doing it!” he finished before turning back to his potion while ignoring the gawking gazes from the three people surrounding him.

Having had enough of the staring, Draco set his stirring stick down and walked away from the table up to Professor Slughorn at the front. After a brief discussion with the Potion teacher, both Slughorn and Draco came walking back to the table. The blonde Slytherin crossed his arms as he stood behind the Professor who was now examining Hermione’s potion.

“Ms. Granger,” the sweet elder man began gently “Mr. Malfoy here, has told me that he witnessed a tampering with your draught…May I have a look?”

“O-of course, Professor” she exclaimed before giving Draco a curious look.

“Ahh…It seems Mr. Malfoy is correct. There was an extra ingredient added to this recipe.

“What?” Hermione replied, pretending to act shocked. “I-I don’t understand.”

“Not to worry Ms. Granger, we will sort this all out shortly” Slughorn collected a sample of Hermione’s potion before addressing the rest of the class. “If I could have everyone’s attention please; class is officially over for the day. Please drop off a sample of your draught at the front and make your way back to your common room. No dawdling now…Oh, and Mr. Longbottom, if you could stay after with Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, there is something we all need to discuss. Class dismissed.”

Draco looked at Neville who raised a brow in confusion before the students began to disperse. Once the room was clear, the three remaining students stood silently in front the professor's desk as Theo waited patiently, leaning up against the wall in the back of the room with his arms crossed.

“I did not ask that you stay Mr. Nott. You are free to go” Slughorn stated with a smile.

“I think I’m fine right here, thank you” Theo remarked with a fake grin.

“This is a private matter, Mr. No-”

“That involves Draco thinking that Longbottom tampered with Granger’s potion. Trust me, I already know everything. I’m the one who found the extra Fluxweed on his dorm floor.”

“What?” Neville asked in surprise. “What do you mean you found Fluxweed on my floor? You went into my room?”

“Don’t worry Longbottom,” Theo chuckled while his upper lip turned into a half-smile “it’s not like you or I are going to remember tomorrow that I was turned into an adorable chipmunk and snuck into everyone’s room to try and find the culprit that is out to get my best mate and his girl.”

‘My girl?…huh…Theo may be an insufferable git but he does have a way with words. My girl…I like it.’

“His girl?” Neville questioned, interrupting Draco’s thoughts.

“Did you two finally become…official? In public?” Professor Slughorn asked in an overly pleased tone.

“You too?” Draco inquired in shock. “Does everyone in this damn school seriously think that we were already dating?”

“Oh, yes” Slughorn chuckled. “We figured it was only a matter of time before the two brightest students at Hogwarts found their way towards each other. Now, are you official, official? Because I have a few galleons up fo-”

“Professor!” Hermione exclaimed in surprise. “You bet on us?”

‘Seriously?’

Slughorn slowly shrugged his shoulders as he lifted a hand partway into the air.

“Well, Headmistress McGonagall made the wager worth getting in on and it’s not just me, all the other Professors placed bets as well. It gives us something to look forward to since the war. We all picked a month that we thought it would finally happen.”

“Let me guess” Draco asked, crossing his arms in disbelief. “You picked October?”

“Can we get back to why we are here, please?” Neville requested “I don’t understand what is going on? Why were you in my room?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t” Draco claimed sarcastically. “It doesn’t matter how Theo got into your quarters, what matters, is why you had the one ingredient that happened to fall from the ceiling into Hermione’s potion. Who are you working with?”

“I’m not working with anyone!” Neville expressed in anger. “I wouldn’t tamper with Hermione’s potion! I would never hurt her!”

“Then why did you have Fluxweed on your floor?” Theo demanded as he removed himself from the wall and walked up to the front of the room.

“Guys, stop” Hermione pleaded while Slughorn stared in confusion.

“No Granger, I won’t” Theo stated in indignation. “This shite has gone on long enough and like I said before, I would like to actually remember this day, so I’ll ask again” he continued as he turned his gaze back to Neville. “Why…was there Fluxweed…on your floor?”

“I don’t know! Some must have spilled when we were making the Polyjuice potion for extra credit!”

“Polyjuice?” Hermione asked with a raised brow. “I thought that potion was banned from being made in this school?”

“It is” Slughorn chimed in, making everyone in the room look to him quickly. “But that specific draught is extremely difficult to make. This is why I acquired permission from the Headmistress herself to allow Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Cornwell, Mr. Boot, and Mr. Stoll to use the potion as an extra credit assignment. They were to take only the necessary ingredients required and they already turned the project in.”

“Well then one of them took more than they should have!” Draco negated. “And if it wasn’t Longbottom then it was one of the other three!”

“Just because they all made that potion together doesn’t mean that one of them messed with my exam, Draco.”

“Uh, yeah it does” he retorted.

“How?” Hermione questioned while crossing her arms.

“Granger, you said it yourself earlier, those ingredients are locked up. The only other way to get them is if a professor opens the case.”

“He’s right” Slughorn added “and I personally monitored the amount taken.”

“I don’t know who tried to sabotage Hermione, Malfoy, but I would never do something like that and neither would anyone else who worked on the Polyjuice with me.”

“And we are just supposed to take your word for it?” Draco demanded after running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Draco, please…Please just…stop” Hermione begged with sadden eyes as she gently touched his chest, making Draco soften his features and release a deep sigh. 

“Fine…But you better understand this, Granger; I am solving this and I am solving this soon” he replied with dissatisfaction in his voice. “I’ll be damned if I have to repeat…this…any more than necessary.”

‘I-I just got her. I don’t want to lose her now’

“Okay,” she agreed, nodding her head softly “I get it.”

“Do you?” he questioned crossing his arms. “Because I don’t think you do. You’re not the one stuck in a time-loop battling every single painful death o-or knock out!” he claimed as he uncrossed his arms and threw a hand in the air with displeasure. “You’re not the one wh-who will have to convince the person you really like that you’re not playing them when you tell them how you feel, or fight the urge to kiss them every second you see them...You had your chance, Hermione. You had years of waking up every morning to a different day to figure out your feelings. I…” he scoffed lightly “I have the same morning…every damn day, where I have to explain myself over and over again t-to Theo and-and now to you as well, to even get either of you to help me. I’ve lived through this day twelve times now. Twelve! I’m tired, Hermione…I am so tired. I just want to get to the bottom of this so that I can take you to the stupid dance and live out the rest of my life without worrying about if I’m gonna die walking out my bedroom door.”

Neville and Hermione stared at the blonde Slytherin stunned and speechless, while Theo and Professor Slughorn smiled gleefully at the pair before them. Draco knew he basically just confessed his feelings for the Gryffindor in front of everyone again, but he didn’t care. Usually he was very good at compartmentalizing his thoughts and feelings but there was something about Hermione that just made him forget everything he learned in his upbringing. All he cared about now was finding a way to free himself of the curse and not have to convince the Golden Girl every day…that he truly liked her.

‘Oh Merlin, this is really bad.’

“I-I’m sorry for interrupting” Neville began perplexed “but uh…did you say you were repeating the same day? Like that muggle movie?”

“Yes, Longbottom” Theo cut in “just like Groundhog Day.”

“How is this possible?” Slughorn asked intrigued.

“Your-your potion, sir” Hermione answered, finally taking her eyes off Draco. “He…I mean I, interrupted him when he said the closing spell. It caused him to say repeat on his wish.”

“So, you can’t get out of the loop until you fulfil the wish…”

“What the bloody hell did you wish for that you would have to repeat twelve days in a row?” Neville questioned while taking a seat.

“We are not diving into that” Draco replied quickly. “Point is, I’m stuck until I find the culprit responsible for messing with your friend and essentially causing me to get blamed for it. And if I don’t figure it out soon I…I could die.”

“Permanently…” Hermione added with a sullen face.

“Okay, so how do we figure out who’s guilty?”

“My money’s on Boot” Theo claimed as he leaned up against one of the long desks.

“Mr. Nott,” Slughorn chimed in “you can’t just point fingers because you don’t like a certain student.”

“I don’t think it’s him because I don’t like him; although, it is one of the reasons. No, I’m accusing him because there is no way a Hufflepuff did this. He is a Ravenclaw after all; they’re most likely the only ones I can think of, besides a Slytherin that could pull something like this off. I mean think about it…they’re incredibly smart, creative, talented, motivated by-”

‘What is it with him and lists?’

“Are you going to keep talking about the house like you’re in love with it, or can we move forward?”

Theo stopped speaking and looked at Draco with disappointment written on his face while dropping his shoulders and released a scoff in irritation.

“Alright,” Slughorn began “I am going to go and alert the Headmistress; see if we can try and figure this mess out. You four, go back to your common room and stay there until we arrive, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Professor” the students claimed in unison before watching the short elder man walk out into the dungeons’ corridors.

“Well I don’t know about you guys,” Neville declared rubbing his hands on his thighs once the Professor was out of view and Theo closed the door “but I don’t think we can really do anything without proof. Also, what about the rest of the students in the class? How do we know they aren’t responsible?”

“Why do you keep saying ‘we’ like you’re a part of this, Longbottom?” Theo questioned with a raised brow. “The only way you can really help anything is to tell us who Brown is sleeping with.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you!”

“Neville,” Hermione cut in gently “please…She’s hurting a lot of people, Nott included. Just tell us who so we can out her.”

“I can’t Mione…I wish I could, but I can’t.”

Draco’s lips parted slightly when he realized what Neville was trying to say.

‘Fuck! Please say no, Salazar, please say no!’

“You made an unbreakable vow…Didn’t you?” he asked as he lowered his arms and took a step forward.

Neville nodded his head before slowly lowering his chin into his chest in humiliation.

'Fuck!'

“Oh, Neville…Why?” Hermione questioned wistfully. “Why would you do that to yourself?”

“I didn’t have a choice, Mione!” he claimed as he lifted his head with tears forming in his hazel eyes. “If I didn’t, she was going to make up a lie about me and I couldn’t have her do that!”

“Are we sure this bitch isn’t a Slytherin?” Theo asked while scrunching his eyebrows together. “She is worse than us when we were kids.”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that, Nott” Hermione scoffed. “Draco was one hell of an arrogant bully.”

“Okay, well maybe not compared to him, but she’s up there.”

“I…am right here!” Draco stated while waving a hand in the air.

“Sorry” Hermione expressed with remorse. 

“Salazar, you people think that just because I was going through something and refused to speak to anyone that you can just talk about me behind my back…in front of my face…Shite!”

“What?” Theo inquired confused.

“I’m freaking quoting Hermione now! I need to get out of this mess!”

“Well, I think we should do what Slughorn says and go back to the common room.” Neville continued softly while standing up. “I just wanted to help, but I can’t say anything to anyone who has any sort of care for Ron, so it’s pointless. I’m out of here.”

“Neville, wait!” Hermione called out tenderly as Neville began walking out of the room before deciding to chase after him, leaving Theo and Draco alone.

‘Wait a second…’

“Did you hear what he said?” Draco asked while looking to Theo in excitement.

“Yes. He can’t help us…so its whatever. What I want to know is what has gotten into you?” Theo asked as he and Draco began walking towards the classroom door.

“Me? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your little speech earlier, mate. Geez, she says yes to one date and suddenly you’re shouting your feelings to the world not once, but twice in one day” he replied as the pair stopped in front of the wooden barrier.

“What the bloody hell are you getting at?”

“Draco, mate…Do I have to spell everything out for you? You don’t like Granger.”

“Excuse me? How the fuck are you going to try and tell me wh-”

“Merlin’s beard, you can be daft sometimes, you know that?” Theo claimed as he chuckled slightly and shook his head. “You admitted that you’re scared to lose her; that you’re afraid she will wake up one of these repetitive days and change her mind about you. You want to apparently snog her every time you see her, you bicker with her like she’s your girlfriend, and you actively keep trying to protect her; not because it will help stop what is happening to you, but because you genuinely care about her. I mean come on, when is that last time you went a full day without thinking about her? What she’s doing, if she’s okay, if her stomach is doing flip flops like yours whenever she sees you?...You don’t like Granger, Draco…You love her. You my dear friend are head over heels. You have finally learned to love someone other than yourself.”

“I…I...What?”

‘That’s not possible! It’s hasn’t been long enough! I can’t!’

“There’s no time limit on how fast you can fall in love, mate. I know that’s what you’re thinking. Muggle royals do it all the time; you and Granger are just the magical equivalent. The Prince and Princess of rival houses with so much in common, yet so many differences. She balances you just as much as you balance her. Good and redeeming evil, light and dark, sun and moon, Gryffindor and Slytherin, fire and ice, yin an-”

“I got it!”

Theo held up his hands in defeat but with a smirk resting on his lips as he began to cross his arms in confidence. Draco turned away from his friend and began to open the door to walk away from the brunette when it suddenly hit him.

‘What if he’s right?’

“You okay, mate?” Theo questioned and he tilted his head to get a better look at the Slytherin’s pale face, however Draco ignored him as he put the pieces together.

‘I do think about her a lot, even before this bullshite happened to me. I didn’t really like her then but for some reason she still always crossed my mind. Is that why I used to single her out when we were kids? I subconsciously had a crush on her but my mind hid it away because of my upbringing…what I was taught to hate? I mean it’s not like she wasn’t pretty back then. She just didn’t know how to style that mane on her head. And that smile…She always had a tender smile that could light up a room when you were feeling down…’

“Draco?” Theo asked while waving a hand in front of the blonde’s face.

‘Oh…my…Gods! He is right!’

Staring unseeingly in front of him, Draco’s breath began to grow heavy as he thought of every little thing he liked about Hermione. His lips slightly parted in shock and his grip on the door handle tightened when he realized the unimaginable.

“I love her” he muttered softly.

“What?”

“I love her…I’m in love with Hermione Granger” he repeated.

However, before Theo could get a word in, the door suddenly burst open, smacking Draco straight in the nose. He cried out in pain as he hunched over and held his hands up to the bloody mess on his face as Theo quickly shut the door to prevent any more damage from occurring. But as soon as the Slytherin released his hold, the door swung open again to reveal Neville’s confused face as he tried to push the wooden barrier hard; hitting Draco directly on top of the head…knocking him out.


	9. Helping Hand

Chapter 9- Helping Hand

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:22am

“You have got to be fucking kidding me!” Draco groaned and gripped his head as it pulsed in agonizing pain.

He began sobbing loudly as he began to feel sick to his stomach from the aching pain throbbing in his skull. He couldn’t even open his eyes to grab his wand off the night stand as he curled into a ball and cried. Due to the pulsing pain, he never heard the knocking at his door or Theo shouting as he tried to break through the lock to no avail. But luckily for Draco, Hermione opened the door with a simple wave of her wand and found the blonde sweating profusely on his sheets while weeping into his forearms.

“Malfoy? What the hell happened?” Hermione asked in alarm as she rushed over to him. She sat down on his bed and gently pushed the damp hair out of his face before turning back to the group of people gathering in the doorway. “Someone run and grab Madam Pomfrey! Hurry!”

Harry pushed himself away from the crowd of eighth years and ran down the stairs quickly as he raced towards the hospital wing. A few moments later, the matron of the school came rushing into the room with a satchel full of potions.

“What happened?” she asked as Hermione stood to make room for the nurse.

“We don’t know” Hermione replied with worry lacing her tone. “Nott heard wailing and when he couldn’t get into the room, I opened it to find Malfoy like this. Is he going to be alright?”

“I hope so” the witch replied in concern while looking over Draco to check for any visible wounds. “What hurts, Mr. Malfoy?”

‘Merlin, make it stop!’

“My head!” he cried out as he clamped his fists tighter against his forehead, trying to block out the light.

‘Please! Make it stop!’

“Ms. Granger, grab the salamander blood from my bag, please.” Hermione reached into her case and pulled out the vile the nurse needed before quickly handing it over. “I am unfortunately out of Wiggenweld potion after that nasty Quidditch game last week, so this will have to do…Open up, my dear boy.”

‘It hurts! Gods, it hurts so badly!’

Draco tried his best to fight through the pain as he slowly stuck out his tongue. Madam Pomfrey trickled a few drops of the blood into his mouth before sealing the vile back up and setting it on the end table.

“I need a cold damp cloth…and someone please dim the lights in here!”

Theo rushed down the stairs to the bathrooms that sat hidden in the back of the common room and quickly grabbed two washcloths off of a towel rack before wetting them with cold water. He then ran back up the stairs to see Hermione had lowered the flickering sconces so it was basically dark in the dorm before handing the cloth to the healer now sitting next to Draco on the bed. The matron witch placed one washcloth on the back of Draco’s neck before placing the second on top of his forehead.

As the cold seeped through his skin, his headache subsided some but was still not completely gone. However, it was well enough that the Slytherin was able to stop crying and roll onto his back.

“I will inform the Headmistress but first I need someone to watch over him as I speak to her.”

‘Hermione…Please let it be Hermione’

“I’ll do it” Harry declared softly before anyone else had the chance to say anything. “I can monitor him” he finished as he raised his hand slightly to show the nurse who had spoken, causing everyone in the room to look at him in disbelief and Hermione to purse her lips in irritation.

‘NO!’

“That would be wonderful, Mr. Potter, thank you. As for the rest of you, please give the boy some space and head on to breakfast. You all look a bit frail if I do say so myself; your friend will be just fine.”

“Oh, he’s not all of our friend “Ron chimed from the back of the crowd still in the door way of Draco’s bedroom.

“Ronald!” Hermione scolded. “Have some tact and go down to breakfast!”

‘That’s my girl!’

“Whatever…I was just being honest.”

‘Honestly annoying’

“And your honesty is not needed!” Theo snapped as he glared angrily at the red-head with his arms crossed.

“All of you, out…now!” Madam Pomfrey insisted before shaking her head in disappointment.

‘Thank you!’

The group scattered quickly leaving Theo, Hermione and Harry alone in the room with Draco and Madam Pomfrey.

“Is-is it alright if I stay too?” Hermione asked kindly. “I mean…in case Harry needs some help.”

‘Yes…Please stay’

“Sorry, Ms. Granger, but I only need one of you here. Besides, I need you and Mr. Nott, to accompany me to the Headmistress’s office so that you can tell her what occurred in your own words.”

“But-”

“No but’s, Ms. Granger. Now off you go.”

‘Fuck! Ugh, now I have to be alone with Potter? This blows harder than…You know what? I’m not even going to finish that thought.’

Theo began walking out of the room, but Hermione stayed rooted where she was with a worried expression plastered on her face as she played delicately with her fingers.

‘I’ll be okay, Hermione. I’ll make all of this up to you…I promise.’

“I’m fine, Hermione. You can come back later to check on me, alright?” Draco stated through a soft sigh causing everyone’s eyes to widen in shock. “Yes, I said her first name…shocking I know. Can I rest now?”

“Of course” Pomfrey replied gently while shaking the idea of Draco and Hermione finally getting together from her mind. “I’ll see to it that someone brings you both some food. Hopefully that will help with the pain. Get some rest and in case we aren’t back in an hour Mr. Potter, please give three drops of the salamander blood to Mr. Malfoy if the migraine doesn’t cease or if it worsens.”

“Yes, ma’am” Harry answered with a bow of his head before moving the chair from behind the door to the side of the Slytherin’s bed. 

Madam Pomfrey ushered Hermione and Theo out of the room, leaving the ex-arch rivals alone. Draco sucked in a small breath as the two awkwardly ignored each other in silence for quite some time before Harry decided to speak up.

“How’s your head?” he asked gently.

‘Small talk…I hate small talk.’

“Better…” the Slytherin Prince replied as he held onto the rag resting over his forehead. “Why did you volunteer to watch me?” he questioned while turning his gaze to the raven-haired boy to his left. “I’m almost positive Hermione would have happily stayed instead and if I’m being honest, I would rather have her company than yours…no offense.”

“Why are you calling her by her first name, Malfoy? You’ve done nothing but ignore her since we got off the train in September. I am assuming you know how she feels about you since it’s been obvious to the entire school, but I am not about to let you hurt her.”

‘I don’t want to hurt her. That’s that last thing I want to do’

“Hurt her? Why the bloody hell would I hurt her?” Draco asked as he removed the cloth from his head and raised a brow in confusion.

“I don’t know if this headache thing is some ploy to get her to fall for one of your pathetic pranks-”

‘Merlin, if you only knew the half of it’

“What the fuck are you talking about Potter?” Draco inquired, cutting the Gryffindor off before he could say something to piss him off.

“Is this a prank, Malfoy? Are you trying to use Hermione’s feeling for you against her and embarrass my best friend?” Harry pressed dolefully. “Because she really freaking likes you and it would crush her if this is some sort of joke to you.”

“Where is this coming from, Potter? I literally woke up with a pounding headache. I wouldn’t have had time to create some escapade to trick her. And how would I even know that she would want to stay and take care of me? Is that why you volunteered so quickly; you wanted to make sure I wouldn’t hurt her?”

“You calling her by her first name is enough to convince her to want to stay.” ‘Really? Hmm.’ But that’s not why I volunteered to watch you, Malfoy. I actually wanted to talk to you alone about Hermione.”

‘Oh no…not your “don’t ruin her” speech again. Please, anything but that speech again!’

“And you couldn’t have thought of a better time to talk to me? Like legit any other time that I’m not stuck in a bed?”

“I saw an opportunity so I took it. It’s not like you’re ever alone any other time and I highly doubt you would be willing to talk to me without your Slytherin friends around.”

‘Oh, Potter… I am willing to do pretty much anything to get out of this shite mess.’

“Well, it turns out I actually wanted to talk to you too” Draco replied as he tried to sit up.

Harry stood from his chair to help the blonde rest his back against the headboard as he took the cloth from around Draco’s neck and placed it on the night stand before sitting back down.

“See, it all works out then, I guess” Harry replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

‘Merlin, how right you are.’

“Potter…” Draco began as he bit the inside of his cheek in hesitation. “I promise you, I am not larking on Hermione, nor will I ever. I know how she feels about me and before I woke up, I realized…”

‘Do I tell him? Will it help him trust me more?’

“What?” Harry inquired while raising a brow.

“I realized I like her too” Draco continued while looking down to his hands. “And I don’t mean as a friend. I mean I really like her…Actually…no…”

‘Just say it, Draco! Get over your coward-ness and just admit it!’

“No?”

“No…I-I love her” he finished as he raised his eyes to Harry’s shocked ones. “I love everything about her. The way she reads a book and then has to tell you every little interesting thing she came upon, the way she smiles like there is nothing in the world that can bring her down…the way she sticks up for you and-and Weaselby, her stubbornness” he scoffed “the way her eyes sparkle in the candle light and you can see the little golden flakes that float in the sea of brown…”

“If…If that’s how you feel, Malfoy, then why have you been shoving her away every time she tries to talk to you?” Harry asked stunned.

‘I really don’t want or have the time to explain my predicament again.’

“It’s a really long story…Maybe one day I’ll tell you, but not today. Today, I just need to help some people; you being one of them.”

“Me?” Harry questioned in surprise as he held a finger to his chest. “What do I need help with?”

“What don’t you need help with?” Draco stated with an eye roll but quickly lowered his head when Harry shot him an evil glare and he had realized he said his thought out loud. “Your relationship” he concluded as he glanced back up.

“My-my relationship? There’s nothing wrong with Ginny and I!” the raven-haired boy snapped.

“I’m not saying there is, Potter. I am just saying that there is something you most likely don’t know and I need to help you.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” Draco asked in confusion.

“Why would you help me in any way?”

“Because you’re best friends with Hermione and I made a promise to help her…She doesn’t know it yet, but she will.”

“What’s in it for you?”

‘Everything’

“So, you believe that there is something you’re not seeing in your relationship?” Draco asked with a smirk.

“I-I…well Ginny has been sort of distant lately” Harry began, but his eyes grew wide in shock and confusion “Are you trying to tell me-” When he stood up, Draco realized instantly that Harry assumed the worst. Sighing softly, he quickly cut off the dark-haired boy.

“Weaslette isn’t cheating on you, Potter. Calm down. It’s not like that…Look” Draco continued as he adjusted himself on the bed. “I need you to not freak out when I tell you this, alright? Can you do that? Cause I am in no position right now to chase after you.”

‘But I will if I have to. I’m not messing this day up again.’

Harry nodded his head with a sorrowful expression before slowly sitting back down in his chair.

“O-okay…Is it bad?” he questioned with worry in his voice.

‘Alright, how do I word this so he will understand?’

“Potter, I know you are well off, not as well off as me, but well off. However, I want you to keep in mind that money isn’t everything. It won’t buy you friends; it can’t buy you love or happiness and it can’t buy you a family that is willing to do anything for you. You have everything I never did. You have Weasley and Hermione who have your back no matter what, you have an extended family that took you in the minute you stepped into their home…and you have Weaslette. The one girl who has and will always show you love.”

“What are you trying to say, Malfoy? I don’t understand.”

“I’m saying that you are something I never really had…something I always wanted but never really got.”

‘Please get it? I so do not want to blurt it out.’

“And that is…”

‘Merlin’s beard!’

“Someone, who is supposed to love you unconditionally.”

“Um, I’mmm still not following…”

“Gods you are thick! A father, Potter! You’re a father!”

“I’m-I’m a what?” he asked in a mixture of shock and confusion as he stood back up, and began to run his fingers through his black hair.

‘He may need to work on not being so daft if he’s going to survive a raising a child.’

“Your girl is pregnant” Draco admitted as he kept an eye on the Chosen One in case he decided to bolt from the room; ruining everything for the Slytherin. “That’s why she’s been distant. She doesn’t know how to tell you because she thinks you’re going to leave her.”

“Leave her? I would never do that to her!” Harry exclaimed while pacing the length of the room.

“I’m not the one thinking it…Okay can-can you sit down please? Your pacing is bringing my headache back.”

“Sorry” Harry stated with a sigh and he quickly retook his seat. “I just-I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this information, Malfoy. I’m only seventeen! I’m too young for a child!”

“So? Do you know how many witches and wizards now a day’s have kids at seventeen and don’t have the financial means to care for them? Or even love them for that matter? You took down Voldemort for crying out loud, and all you’ve ever wanted was a family that wasn’t like that awful house I’ve heard about with a wretched spoiled cousin.”

“Who told you about Dudley? And honestly, how do you even know about Ginny?”

“I hear things-but that’s not the point. The point is, Potter, when you graduate you can have any job you want, buy next to any house you want, after I take my pick first that is, and have a loving family waiting for you when you get home. Don’t see this as a bad thing…see it as more of a gift.”

“I…When did you become so…caring?” Harry inquired with a raised brow.

‘If we’re being technical here, then since yesterday…or today…or…forget it. I know what I mean!’

“That’s a story for another time. Now, go talk to Weaslette and do me a favor…be nice about it and act shocked when she tells you. I’d rather not get slapped again for interfering in your relationship.” Draco stated as he gingerly moved to try and stand up.

“Slapped again? What ar-”

“Nothing, don’t worry about it. You can leave now.”

“I can’t leave yet” Harry replied as he tried to help Draco out of bed. “I have to wait until Madam Pomfrey returns.”

‘I need to talk to Hermione, dammit! I need you to leave!’

“Potter,” Draco began firmly while removing his arm from Harry’s grasp “I’m about to get naked now so I can change. If you would like to see my bare arse that’s fine by me, but I don’t think you do and I personally would feel more comfortable with you not in the room.”

Harry’s eyes widened in horror before he held up his hands and ran to the door as quickly as possible. However, the Gryffindor stopped suddenly, making Draco furrow his brows in confusion.

“Hey uh, Malfoy…” he said softly.

“Yeah, Potter?”

“Thank you.”

Draco nodded his head slightly but instantly stopped when a faint white glow emanated from the Gryffindor’s body before slowly encompassing his entire frame. It happened in a blink of eye but it was clear as day, stunning the Slytherin and making Harry eye him strangely.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked titling his head.

“I-I’m fine…Uh, sorry. Just wasn’t expecting a ‘thank you’ from you…but uh, you’re-you’re welcome, I guess.”

“Alright, I’ll see you in class then.”

“Yeah…Sure”

‘Did-did he really just glow? No…No I must be seeing shite. Yeah that’s it…’

Getting dressed as quickly as possible, Draco scrambled out of his bedroom and ran down the stairs two at a time. He marched through the common room but as soon as he was about to open the portrait, the door swung open to reveal Neville carrying a tray of food.

“Oh, hey Malfoy; you seem like you’re doing better” Neville cheerfully smiled. “I brought you some food” he stated as he held up a tray in the same fashion Harry had a few days before. “Mione said you should eat something filling, so I packed some extra bacon in there for ya! I hope that’s okay?”

‘Longbottom, you filthy son of a bitch!’ Draco scowled. ‘Who the bloody hell keeps trying to open a fucking door when it’s blocked? First you embarrass me by making me slip in the closet, then you fall on top of me, and then you fucking knock me out with a bleeding door, AFTER BREAKING MY NOSE! I would kill you if I didn’t need to fucking get out of this nightmare as soon as possible!’

“Longbottom,” he smirked with a tilt of his head “just the person I wanted to see!”

“Me?” Neville asked innocently. “Oh, because I was supposed to bring you food, of course!” he claimed as he walked past the Slytherin Prince and placed the tray on the coffee table in the center of the room.

“I don’t want the food; I want to talk to you. I wanna help you.”

‘Even after the shite you put me through.’

“Help me? I-I don’t understand” Neville stated as he put his hands in his pockets and narrowed his brows.

“Have a seat, Longbottom. This might take a while.”

“Uh…alright” Neville answered as he slowly sat down opposite of Draco.

“So, I heard you were having some girl problems” the blonde began as he leaned back and rested his left arm on the back of the couch like he was having a casual conversation with one of his friends. “Which girl is it?”

“I beg your pardon? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Oh, calm down, Longbottom. I overheard it from a reliable little birdy so don’t worry, no one spilled your secret to me.”

‘Not like I would tell you that Hermione told me anyway.’

“What are you playing at, Malfoy?”

Draco removed his arm from the couch and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs as he flicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

“Is it Lovegood?” he asked as he studied the snake killer before him. “I mean I know you two dated over the summer…Seems like every one who got together after the war broke up before school started again. Hm, odd…Anyway, I am willing to trade my expert services on wooing women for some information I know you know.”

“I-I don’t know anything, Malfoy, and I’m not having girl problems! Is this a prank or something? I don’t have to take this!” Neville claimed as he stood clenching his fists, but Draco could sense the nervousness in the boys’ voice and he was fully aware that the Gryffindor was afraid of him.

“SIT…DOWN…Now!” Draco demanded, causing Neville to cower slightly before slowly sitting. “Good, now what is wrong with Lovegood? Is she strange in bed? Bad kisser? Can’t think of a way to bone her? Oh, you never had sex before, is that it? That’s gotta be it! Okay, so I can try to walk you through the deed but you need to get her in the mood first. I’m thinking a romantic dinner with candles and maybe a few rose petals on the bed for later…females love that shite. Talk low and keep your eyes on her-but not too much because you don’t want to freak her out. Treat her like she’s the most beautiful thing in the room but remember, you have to look away to maintain that mysterious vibe women fall head over heels for. Here let me show you. You pretend to be Luna and I’ll hit on you…”

“Uh…Malfoy…” Neville said as his mouth fell slightly open and his eyes widened in confusion.

“What?” Draco questioned in annoyance. He felt like he was on a roll and actually able to help Neville pretty quickly, but the brunettes face began to turn red, making the Slytherin realize he was completely wrong about his problem. “You-I…” he sighed in embarrassment, before biting his lower lip, and once again studied the Gryffindor curiously. “You do like girls, don’t you? Or is it a guy that’s causing you trouble and ‘girl problems’ is just code for-”

“No! I-I like women!”

“There is nothing wrong if you didn’t, but if it’s not that then…is it actually doing the deed? Because I read some books I found the attic at the Manor over the summer and I can try to walk you through it…I mean it would have to stay between us but-”

“Malfoy! Shut…Up!”

“Excuse me?” Draco replied while angrily furrowing his brows.

‘I’m trying to help you, you daft twit! Don’t silence me!’

“I am having girl problems, yes…but I can’t tell you with who or-or how!”

“You can’t te…” Draco froze instantly when a memory flashed before his eye and he finally put everything together.

‘I can’t Mione…I wish I could, but I can’t.’

“The unbreakable vow…” he whispered as his eyes widened.

“What?”

“Of course!” Draco stated in excitement as he stood up and began to pace the length of the couch as he thought hard. “It all makes sense!”

“What makes sense? Malfoy?...I’m so confused…”

‘I just wanted to help,’ Neville said sadly ‘but I can’t say anything to anyone who has any sort of care for Ron, so it’s pointless. I’m out of here.’

“You tried to tell me!” Draco exclaimed as he stopped pacing and pointed to Neville.

“Tried to tell you what? I don’t know what’s happening!” Neville announced in anxiety induced confusion.

“You don’t have girl, girl problems…you have one girl problem. You made the Unbreakable Vow with Brown and you can’t tell anyone who has any sort of care for Weasley…That’s why you came back into the room. You thought you could tell me without Hermione being around.”

“What the bloody hell are you talking about?”

“But you wouldn’t have been able to say anything still…” Draco continued, ignoring the immense bewilderment engulfing the Gryffindor. “Theo told me the other day that he felt bad for Weasley because of what Brown was doing behind his back…Theo has some care for him so trying to tell me in front of my best mate, would have caused you immense pain or-or even death…But telling me alone…”

“I don’t understand what you’re getting at, Malfoy. How do you know all of this?”

“Don’t worry about how I know, just know that I can help you take down Brown. Theo isn’t here and neither is anyone else. I could give two shites about the weasel and I am only going to help him after you, so I can end the nightmare that you obviously know nothing about. I am not divulging any more details about it but trust me, Longbottom…I can help you. You just need to tell me who Brown is sleeping with.”

“If-if you can recall me saying something I don’t remember saying then there has to be more clues that were given. I wouldn’t just try to tell you unless I was aware of the fact that you were told more than you originally thought.”

“What do you mean?” Draco questioned while putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

“Are…and I’m just going off experience here, but are you stuck in a time-loop?”

“How-how do you know that? No one knows that but me!” Draco stated in shock.

“Well, I mean it makes sense. You know things you shouldn’t, that random headache this morning, and you suddenly calling Mione by her first name when just yesterday you refused to even speak to her. There’s also your mysterious need to want to help me and Ron.”

“How did you come to that conclusion just off those minor details? 

“Simple…I was stuck in one last year” he shrugged “It’s a long story, but I basically relieved the day of the battle over and over again until I learned that I was the one who was supposed to kill the snake. First few days I was terrified, until I said screw it to everything, and thought about the things I could get away with. It wasn’t until I died so many times that I asked Luna for help and she found out that each death affected my body more and more. I almost died on the last day until I killed Nagini and the day stopped repeating. After I killed her, a faint glow appeared around the body of the snake and I knew I made it.” Neville explained as if it was something that happened more often than not.

‘A faint glow…so that means after I helped Potter, that I was given a sign of completing part of the wish!’

“How? How did you get stuck in a time-loop?”

“Oh, uh, from a broken time-turner I found it outside the Room of Requirement after it went up in flames.”

“When the trio saved me and Goyle…’

“I-it must have exploded out of the room after the Diadem was destroyed.”

“Yeah, I figured that out on my fourth day. And I know what you’re gonna ask. I relived that day…sixteen times, if I remember correctly.”

“Six-that means I only have three lives left!”

“You went through this thirteen times already?” Neville asked in awe. “Malfoy, you should have come to me sooner!”

“That’s the thing, Longbottom! I did on the third day…but you didn’t say anything. In fact, you acted like what I was telling the group was all new to you…”

“That’s probably because you didn’t get enough information to change the timeline. Time-loops are a tricky thing. They will only let you obtain a certain amount of information each day. The closer you get to fulfilling what it is you’re supposed to do, the more information you’re allowed to gather from certain people. It took me until day fourteen for Harry to tell me that the sword of Gryffindor contained basilisk venom that can destroy a horcrux. Any other time I asked, he acted like he had no idea what I was talking about. I actually had to place the sorting hat outside for the sword to appear in it later. That one took me a little while to figure out.”

“Okay, well I helped Potter already, so all I have left is to help you which I can only do if you tell me who Brown is sleeping with, in order to help Weasley. Then I can focus on helping stop someone from sabotaging Hermione’s potion in class before I take her to the Ball tonight.”

“You still have all of that to do and you only have three lives left to do it? Merlin’s beard, Malfoy! What the hell have you’ve been doing this whole time?”

“Well I was on a roll yesterday, until you knocked me out with a damn door!”

“Oh, sorry…Okay, so I can’t just tell you. It doesn’t work that way. Yes, technically I wouldn’t be breaking the vow because you don’t care about Ron, but you’re in a loop, Malfoy. That’s a whole different kind of magic we’re dealing with here. Who knows the outcome if for some reason I die telling you. I could possibly not come back. So, we have to play this right. You need to think back on all the clues you were given, because I am sure there were some, to figure it out on your own. Anything that seemed out of place, whether it was someone not in a room at a certain time or-”

“Wait!” Draco interrupted as he sat down and thought back to the third day when Pansy mentioned that Lavender went to the library to grab a book for her costume before thinking about Theo’s investigation as a chipmunk.

‘There was one person missing other than Brown when we all go back after class…and Theo said that he found knickers in…OH MY BASILISK IN A CHAMBER!’

“Terry!” Draco exclaimed as he quickly stood back up. “She’s sleeping with Terry fucking Boot!” Neville smiled widely as to not give away too much information, but it gave Draco just enough to go on that he now knew how to help everyone suffering under Lavender Brown’s reign of terror. “I need to talk to Weasley!” he announced as he began to make his way quickly to the portrait.

“Hey Malfoy!” Neville called out as he stood from the couch and put his hands in his pockets, making the Slytherin Prince stop instantly in his tracks and turn around. “Try not to mess it up. Ron won’t like it if you just blurt it out to him and for all we know, Lavender might not even be his main problem…Also, keep in mind, everything is connected. If your list is correct, helping Ron will aid you in helping Mione.”

“Got it!” Draco replied before turning back, but Neville once again stopped him. “What else, Longbottom?” he sighed in annoyance “I only have so much time to figure out a way to get Weasley to talk to me!”

“I just wanted to let you know, that I appreciate what you’re doing for me…So, thank you.”

Draco dropped his shoulders and was about to nod his head when a soft glow began to surround the Gryffindor just like it did with Harry not that long ago; showing the Slytherin that he had completed another part of the wish.

03:24pm

Draco spent the remainder of his day thinking of the best way to get Ron alone to tell him about his girlfriend. Problem was however, the last time he blurted out that Lavender was cheating, things didn’t end well. Draco had been drunk and spouting off information without proof…causing chaos everywhere he went. So, he needed to find a way to prove to the weasel that the girl was slimy skank without directly saying it.

For the time being, Draco went through class like normal and allowed himself to be blamed for Hermione’s potion once again. Luckily however, after helping Harry, Ginny, and Neville, the only accusations directed towards him were from Ron and a few classmates whom he didn’t know very well. It seemed that without having the Chosen One’s support, there weren’t as many people willing to rally behind the red-heads’ false allegations. He was still required to speak to Professor McGonagall in a few hours, but that was the least of his worries. For now, he was more determined to catch Lavender in the act…except he wouldn’t be alone when he did.

It took him until half way through Slughorn’s first speech to recall again that the dunce and Terry were both out of the common room at the same time after class. He concluded that their excuses for not being there when he was being berated by the rest of the eighth-years, were fabricated so the pair could meet up somewhere. Where though…was his problem.

On the way back to the common room, Draco quickly pulled Ron aside, causing everyone to stop walking and eye him skeptically.

“I just need to talk to him for a second” he announced with irritation in his voice. “Don’t worry; he will be just fine when I return him.”

“Get off me, you git!” Ron yelled as he tried to break Draco’s hold on his arm but failed miserably as the pale blonde tightened his grip. “I said, GET OFF!”

Realizing his struggle was futile, Ron wound his free arm back…readying yet another attempt to punch the Slytherin Prince. However, Draco had learned from the first three times the weasel had failed to knock him out and quickly threw his left hand up; catching Ron’s fist in his palm as it came barreling at his face.

“That’s quite enough of that” Draco stated flatly, his tone of voice sounding more like a growl in anger, making Ron’s eyes widen in surprise. “You’re not strong enough to hit me, Weasley, so just give it up already.”

Without saying another word, Draco released the Gryffindor’s hand before dragging him away from the group and into an empty alcove. Ron began cursing and screaming at him causing Draco to cover his mouth with his hand as he waited for Terry and his mistress pass by.

However, Ron began licking the inside of the Slytherin’s palm, forcing him to release his hold in disgust and wipe his hand down his pants to remove the vile saliva from his skin.

“That’s fucking disgusting, Weasley! Have you never heard of germs, you sick prat!” Draco whispered in anger.

“Why the bloody hell are you whispering?” Ron inquired with furry radiating from his reddened face. “You said you wanted to talk, you daft git! Not kidnap me and force me to stand so fucking close to you!”

“Shut-up already!” Draco retorted as he peered out of the thick drapes shielding the alcove. “If I could do this without being so fucking close to you I would, but I ran out of options” he stated firmly as he glanced back at the red-head “so tough fucking luck for both of us! Now, shut your damn mouth before I shut it for you!”

Ron was about to open his mouth to speak again, but Draco held up a hand stopping him when he saw Terry walking down the hall…perfectly healthy.

‘Thought you had a headache that wouldn’t go away, Boot?’ he scoffed. 

Realizing this was his chance, he turned back to Ron who was now as red as a tomato, before lifting a finger to his own lips, reminding the aggravated Gryffindor to be quiet. Removing his hand from in front of Ron’s mouth he grabbed the red-heads’ sleeve and dragged him out of the alcove.

Staying a good distance behind the Ravenclaw, Draco and Ron followed Terry for about ten minutes through the corridors before the wizard stopped in front of the door leading to the Astronomy tower.

“Why are we following Terry, Malfoy?” Ron asked in a whisper, finally understanding that Draco wanted him to stay quiet as the boys hid behind a corner.

“Because he’s up to something and I want to know what it is” Draco lied while his eyes never steered from the Ravenclaw looking around to make sure no one was watching him, before opening the entrance to the tower.

“Why the bloody hell do you need me?”

‘Oh, my Salazar, does he ever stop talking!’

“It’s a long story, now shut-up!”

Draco pushed Ron out from behind the corner when Terry was out of sight and the pair quietly slipped through the door before ascending the Astronomy tower stairs. Once they reached the top, the Slytherin Prince made sure that Ron was in front of him so could witness Lavenders deceit and infidelity first hand. He half expected the Gryffindor to cry but the other half knew he would just scream and shout, maybe even sputter in fury at his girlfriend…never did he suspect the git to focus his rage on Terry.

“WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?” Ron roared as his face changed rapidly from pale to red, to puce colors within only a matter of seconds…all while Draco watched from the doorway.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, Draco’s signature smirk grew across his lips as his brows creased with mischief.

‘At least I get to see a show.’

Without warning, Ron rushed at Terry who quickly released a confound Lavender from his embrace and held up his hands in defense. The red-haired Gryffindor tackled the Ravenclaw to the ground before he wound his arm back and began attempting to punch Terry repeatedly in the face. The brunette wizard however, proved himself more than capable and blocked the blows before shoving Ron backwards onto the ground and standing up

Backing away from the pissed off red-head, Terry spat on Ron before turning around to check on Lavender who was crying near the railing of the tower. Draco’s face contorted in disgust, but it was quickly washed away when Ron stood up and wiped the spit from his face with the back of his hand.

“Fuck you, Boot! How could you both do this to me?” he yelled in fury.

“Us?” Terry replied callously. “You are the one who can’t take care of a girl, let alone your damn poor self! You never treated her right, you pathetic arse!”

‘What’s he trying to say…Oh, right! Weasley’s broke. Yeah, yeah, you can do better than that, Boot!’

“Get bent, you two-timing sleaze!” Ron retorted while breathing heavily. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

‘They really are terrible at name calling…’

“You can try, you weak little shite bitch!”

‘That’s…sort of better’

“I’ll show you weak, you insufferable waste of a soul!’

‘Ooo, good one! Point for Weasley!’

However, Draco’s smirk began to fade as Ron wound his right arm up again, clearly aiming to punch Terry in the face. The Ravenclaw took a step back as Ron’s knuckles whipped through the air and brushed passed his nose, but the red-head quickly recovered and shoved Terry heavily in the chest; pushing both him and Lavender backwards.

Lavender lost her balance as she stumbled, slamming hard into the railing of the tower…breaking the rungs…before falling fast over the edge with a terrifying scream. Draco dropped his arms as he stood up straight with wide eyes…glancing briefly at Ron’s and Terry’s fear filled faces.

‘Ahhh, FUCK…ME! You just lost a point weasel!’

Draco clenched his fists in frustration at his sides before storming up to the petrified boys, who had inadvertently just murdered Brown, briefly stopping to glare at Ron.

“You…Merlin, you really need to learn how to throw a fucking punch, Weasley! Gods, this is the last damn time I am saying this! Hermione hits harder than you! Now I have to start all over again!” he scolded while biting the inside of his cheek in irritation. “I really fucking hate you!” he growled.

With that said Draco shook his head in disappointment before he walked over to the broken railing and looked down at the broken body of Lavender Brown…which could barely be made out from where he stood. Turing around, he exhaled sharply as he shot daggers at the immobilized boys, before lifting his arms out to the sides, and falling backwards out of the tower.


	10. Expect the Unexpected

Chapter 10- Expect the Unexpected

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:22am

Excruciating pain engulfed Draco as he awoke in his bed. His body went ridged as every bone in his body felt like it had broken a thousand times over. He couldn’t scream, couldn’t cry…he couldn’t even think, as nothing but agonizing pain washed over him. His body suddenly began to convulse from the trauma he had sustained, causing the bed to shake violently and the headboard to ram repeatedly against the wall.

Theo could hear the pounding from the other side of the door but he had no idea what was really happening. He banged on the barrier blocking him from getting to his friend and tried spell after spell to open the entryway…but nothing would work. It wasn’t until Hermione heard the loud knocking and pleas coming from the brunette Slytherin that she opened her door to see what was going on.

Theo never once glanced at the Gryffindor as he continued to bang hard on Draco’s door causing panic to settle inside Hermione’s stomach. She rushed over to the wooden barrier and pulled out her wand, unlocking the door before bursting into the room to find Draco on the floor having a seizure.

“Oh my God!” she cried as she rushed to the blonde and quickly summoned a pillow off the bed to place under his head, before turning him on his side. “RUN AND GRAB MADAM POMFREY, THEO! NOW!” she screamed in fear as she gently held Draco on his side to clear his airway.

The minutes passed by like hours before the Matron of the school ran into the room but froze in shock in the doorway. It had been years since she had witnessed any students have a seizure and it had been decades since she had seen one so bad.

Removing the dazed confusion from her mind, she rushed into the room and quickly pulled out her wand. Preforming a diagnostic spell as fast as she could, she and Hermione stared at the holographic image of Draco’s body hovering above him in dismay. Every single bone in his body was broken in more than one place and a few were even shattered to pieces. He had multiple traumas throughout his organs causing internal bleeding; surprising the nurse and the Gryffindor even more when they saw that he had after effects of being struck by lightning as well. He shouldn’t have even been conscious…let alone still alive.

Immense panic flooded the room, including the eighth-years lingering worryingly in the doorway. Pomfrey began preforming every healing spell she could think of until Draco’s body stopped spasming and he began to drool heavily onto the pillow. While his breathing regulated, and his color and pupils returned to normal, Draco’s sight blurred until he could no longer remain conscious and blacked out.

Hermione turned Draco on his back and rested his head in her lap as tears began to trickle down her cheek. She pushed his damp hair out of his face as Madam Pomfrey continued to perform multiple spells to heal the internal bleeding that normally would have killed a person instantly.

“How did this happen?” Pomfrey demanded as she finished one last spell and reached for her bag to grab the vile of salamander blood to help heal Draco’s brain from any damage caused after convulsing for such a long period of time. She also began to pull out Skelegrow and various pain potions needed to speed up the healing process. “What happened here!” she yelled when no one answered her right away.

“I-I don’t know” Theo spoke up due to Hermione being unable to say anything as she cried harder and held on to Draco as if he were already dead. “I-I heard an unusual pounding and when he didn’t answer…I-I panicked and tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. Granger came out and opened it and-and we found him…like-like this” he explained while the nurse opened Draco’s mouth and poured in the potions before gently rubbing his throat to help him swallow.

“Is he going to be okay?” Hermione asked as she glanced up to the Matron with glossy pleading eyes. “Please, tell me he’s going to be alright?”

“I don’t know dear” the nurse answered apologetically. “It’s too soon to tell. He will need plenty of rest and we’ll know more when he wakes up. Until then, I need everyone to go down stairs and wait in the common room while I go talk to the Headmistress. Mr. Nott, I will need you to accompany me and…Mr. Potter, can you please stay with Ms. Granger to keep an eye on Mr. Malfoy?”

“Yeah-yeah, no problem” the dark-haired wizard answered as he stared fearfully at Draco still on the floor of his bedroom.

“Thank you. If he seizes up again you call for a house elf; do you understand me? Do not hesitate and do not leave his side!”

“Yes ma’am” Harry quickly replied as he knelt down, reached over Draco, and cupped Hermione’s cheek in the palm of his hand. “It’s going to be okay, Mione. We’ll take care of him, alright? Let’s get him into bed and comfortable, what do you say?”

Hermione nodded her head as Madam Pomfreys’ gaze fell before ushering everyone out of the room. Harry brought out his wand and slowly levitated the blonde Slytherin off the floor and placed him gently on the bed. He then helped Hermione stand up and brought her a chair so she could sit next Draco before temporarily leaving the room to fetch her a glass of water.

“He’s gonna be alright, Mione” he stated softly as he handed her the glass, but she refused to take it as she watched over Draco like he was Sleeping Beauty waiting for someone to wake him.

“I…I-I don’t understand how this happened…” she claimed in a voice so low it was almost a whisper “he was f-fine yesterday; healthy even” she turned her face to Harry in distress. “Who would do this to him? Who would b-break every b-bone in his body?”

“I don’t know Mione…but we’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Over the next two hours, Hermione sat vigil by Draco’s side as he slept through the hustle and bustle of the day. Professor McGonagall stopped by to check on him as he went in and out of consciousness and spoke to the Gryffindor to gather her version of what had occurred. The Headmistress excused Hermione from attending class for the day and told her that she was more than welcome to make up the exam when she felt more up to it, which the bookworm readily agreed.

When Draco was fully asleep, Hermione took the opportunity to hold his left hand; afraid he would turn her away otherwise. What she didn’t know however, was during the times she held on to him he wasn’t entirely out of it and found peaceful solace from her touch. He couldn’t speak or open his eyes yet, but he knew it was her, and he wanted so desperately to tell her he would be okay.

Another hour passed before he stirred and groggily opened his eyes. Unfortunately, due to the pain radiating through his body he was unable to move, but he could hear everything happening around him. Realizing people generally thought he was sleeping, he took advantage of his predicament and listened carefully to the various discussions happening between his friends and around them.

Blaise had visited him early on in the day, but stood against the far wall with his arms crossed as he spoke indirectly to Hermione, all while watching the Slytherin Prince closely. Draco pretended to sleep as he learned just how much his friend actually cared for him.

The blonde prince listened as Blaise made small talk, asking 'How he was doing?', 'Were there any changes?' and 'Do you need anything?' before he sighed deeply and began thinking aloud.

“Whoever did this to him is a coward;” the wizard stated firmly as he stared at Draco wistfully “a coward…with absolutely nothing to live for.”

‘I did this to myself, Blaise…’

“We’ll find the bastard that did this, Zabini…I will make sure of it” Hermione replied angrily, but Blaise wasn’t listening.

“You have to make it through this, Draco” the wizard continued as the lines in his forehead creased with sorrow. “You have to…I don’t have anyone else that I want as a best-man for when I ask Pansy to marry me after graduation. You promised me you would be there…you promised…”

‘I’ll keep that promise, mate…I won’t let you down’

Hermione turned her head and looked at Blaise dejectedly before quickly standing up to comfort the Slytherin whose eyes were beginning to water.

“Who does something like this?” he questioned while holding up a hand slightly as he tried not cry for his friend. “Who b-breaks ev…every bone in a person’s body?” his voice cracked and within moments of her touching his shoulder, the tall wizard broke into full tears, shattering Hermione’s heart to pieces. Slowly pulling him into a hug, the pair fell to the ground in anguish while trying to sooth the wretched heartache they both were experiencing.

Draco tried everything he could to get his body to move but his mind refused to send the signals needed to even lift a finger to show his friends that he’s okay. Instead his body just laid there like it was a paralyzed vegetable…unable to procure any type of motion or a single sound. He had no choice but to listen as the girl he loves and one of his best friends fell apart on his bedroom floor.

After thirty minutes of the pain staking torture, Theo knocked on the door causing Blaise to wipe his nose with his sleeve before standing up and open the entryway. He pushed passed Theo who moved out of the way before Hermione retook her seat next to Draco. The brunette Slytherin watched Blaise quickly run to his dorm across the hall before walking into the room and softly closing the door.

“Any change?” he asked Hermione, who shook her head ‘no’ as she reached out and touched Draco’s arm.

Theo conjured a second chair and took a seat on the opposite side of the bed across from Hermione. Sighing deeply, the Slytherin looked to Draco lying peacefully on the bed, still in his pajamas as he thought about everything he and his best friend had been through since they were five years old.

“Did you know that I have known Draco since we were small?” he asked Hermione without looking up from his friend.

“I didn’t…No” she answered softly as her gaze rose to the Theo. “H-how did you meet?”

‘Playdate’

“On a playdate” he answered as he leaned forward and rested his arms on the green sheets of the bed. “His mother brought him over to my house while she and my mother had tea. They met in a store in Diagon Alley and hit it off fairly well…so they decided to get together for tea and ever since then…Draco and I have become like brothers.”

“That sounds really nice, Nott.”

“Yeah…Except…I was always envious of him.”

‘What? Why?’

“Envious? Why would you be jealous of Draco? His father was a mad man who made him feel small” Hermione questioned with a raised brow.

‘She’s right’

“His father was a muggle angel compared to mine” Theo admitted as he sat back in his chair. “My father used to beat me…all the time. I hated him. But Draco, he was always there for me. He also always got the girls to swoon over him and he had all this money with no one to spend it on.

‘Other than you’

“Well other than me” he sighed sadly. “He would always cheer me up by buying me the latest things and…and I never got to repay him.”

‘You didn’t have to repay me, Theo’

“I-I don’t think he did it so you could repay him, Nott” Hermione said gently as she turned her eyes to the blonde Slytherin. “You’re his friend-his best friend. I think he did it because he wanted to make you happy.”

‘What she said’

“If he wants to make me happy then he needs to wake up and tell me who did this to him so I can beat the ever-loving snot out of the coward!” he snapped, causing Hermione to glance at him in concern. “He may have been an arrogant bully to everyone growing up, but he doesn’t deserve this! No one deserves this kind of torture!”

‘This was all me, Theo. I’m the coward’

“He’ll wake up, Nott. I know he will.”

“And what if he doesn’t?” he asked angrily. “What if he never wakes up and I…”

“Have to go through life without him?” Hermione finished as her heart once again shattered into a million pieces. ‘You’ll never be without me, mate’ “Nott, I-”

“We’re friends…right, Granger?” Theo quickly cut in as he looked to her with glistening eyes. “I mean sort of friends since you helped me study for my Charms exam?”

“We’re friends…Why are-”

“So then why are we still calling each other by our last names? Why are we acting like being friends is a bad thing?” he stated firmly, shocking the Gryffindor slightly. “It’s obvious to the whole school how you feel about Draco, which means that if he ever finally admits he likes you too and stops being such a prat about it, then we are going to become closer. So, why are we pretending that we can’t get along?”

‘I did tell her I like her…’

“I-”

“Why does it take having my best friend in a coma or whatever, to admit we have all changed and can see passed the bullshite crap we did when we were younger? I mean, for Merlin’s sake, he had a bloody seizure! Every damn bone in his body was broken! Why can’t we all just figure out our shite and move on? Why did it have to come…to this? I never even got to tell him all my secrets because I was too damn scared to say anything. Just like he is too damn scared to admit he may like you and now look at him…he can’t…!” Theo trailed off as he sniffled and tried to hold back his anger.

‘Oh, Theo, I’ll be okay. I’ll get through this’

“Nott, I-”

“THEO!” he shouted, making Hermione shudder at the outburst as a tear fell from his brown eyes while Draco felt nothing but sorrow for the only person he could call a brother. “My name…is Theo…”

“Okay…Alright…” the curly-haired brunette answered sincerely as she stood up and walked around the bottom of the bed frame. She gently took a seat on the edge of the bed facing the Slytherin and held out her right hand. “Theo…I’m Hermione Granger…but you can call me Hermione” she smiled warmly as Theo looked from her hand up to her face in surprise. Hermione nodded her head slightly as he produced a small grin and reached out to shake her hand. “Now we are officially friends” she continued when the pair let go of each other “so, that means we can tell each other anything.”

“N-no judgment?” he asked softly.

‘She won’t judge you, mate’

“No judgement…and I promise not to say anything to anyone. I am also pretty positive that Malf-Draco, won’t either.”

“I doubt he can even hear us anyway…”

“That’s probably true, but even if he could I’m sure he wouldn’t judge you either.”

‘Never!’

“You don’t understand, Hermione…I have been keeping this secret from him since we were thirteen. I-”

‘Thirteen? So, this isn’t about Brown?’

“Then just tell him now” the bookworm said as gently as she could. “Even if he can’t hear you, at least you’ll get it off your chest. It will help you feel better…I know it will.” Theo looked at Hermione with worry before turning his gaze to Draco. “I’ll give you some time, okay. I’ll be right over there if you need me.”

‘Merlin, I love her and her kindness. He needs someone to help him with this and I couldn’t think of better person I would rather have to protect him.’

Theo nodded his head as Hermione stood up and walked over to the south-east corner of the bedroom. She folded her hands in front of her as Theo sighed heavily and leaned his arms back on the bed.

“Draco…I-I” he quickly turned to Hermione who half-smiled and bowed her head slightly to give him some encouragement before he rotated back to Draco. “I…Gods this is hard…I don’t exactly know how to say this. I don’t even know if you can even her me…”

‘I can hear you, Theo’

“But I guess this is better than nothing” the Slytherin continued. “Do-do you remember the day you caught me glancing at your dick in the urinals third year?” he asked making Hermione snap her head up and furrow her brows in puzzlement.

‘Of course, I remember! It was extremely awkward’

“You were so embarrassed, so I told you it was to see if you were bigger than me…still mad that you were by the way, but congrats Hermione” he turned his head to wink at the brunette causing her to snort as she tried to hold back a laugh. “Anyway, after seeing your reaction, I sort of…coward. I should have just said something then, but…I-I was scared.

‘Scared? You know you can tell me anything, Theo, and I mean anything. I would never judge you or-or abandon you.’

“I was terrified you would look at me differently or-or not be my friend anymore. I hid behind dirty jokes and inappropriate comments, but really…I was confused. I’m still confused, actually.

‘Confused?’

“Now, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t looking because I like you or anything. I mean I love you to death but not like that. I was only next to you in the bathroom because we were young and I was still being picked on. You were like a safety net for me and I was scared to leave your side. I guess I could have moved down a urinal but again, I was young. Anyway, I was looking because I was curious…I guess. The thing is…I like everyone.”

‘You definitely could have moved down a urinal…but I get what you mean. And you always were nice to anyone unless they were horrible to me, so I don’t understand wha-wait…’

“I like girls, yes, but…I-I can’t do this!”

‘Yes, you can, mate…Don’t you remember…Be afraid…and then do it anyway’

“You can, Theo…” Hermione supported from the corner of the room. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you, you can’t. Not even yourself.”

Theo sucked in a deep breath before slowly letting it out and bit his bottom lip nervously.

“I-I like guys…as well as girls.”

‘I’m glad you can tell me…but I already knew you were bi. I’m your best friend, your brother; you can’t really hide something like that from me…Just like I couldn’t hide liking Hermione from you.’

“I’m just so afraid you’ll ha…hate me for it” Theo stated as his voice shook and tears began to stream down his cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you in my life because I can’t control who I fancy.”

‘Theo, come one mate; you may be a huge thorn in my side most days, but I could never hate you. I love you. I will always love you.’

“Theo…” Hermione began delicately as she stepped forward and placed her hands on his shoulders “it’ll be okay” she whispered as she wrapped her arms around the Slytherins’ head and let him cry into her stomach.

Hermione held on to the boy for the next twenty minutes as he cried his heart and soul out and the Slytherin Prince…could do nothing to comfort him. It was the worst feeling in the world for Draco; to know that his friend was hurting and he couldn’t protect him, couldn’t shield that heartache like he had done so many countless times before. All he wanted to do was jump up off the bed, hold Theo in his arms, and tell him that he accepted him…that he would always accept him, like he has since the day they met.

But unfortunately, the universe gave Draco the middle finger and refused to let him move. It was like he was physically in the room but his mind was standing outside watching his friends fall apart for something he did to himself. He had one maybe two more repeat days’ tops, and he still had no idea how he was going to fix everything. It was like the world cursed him into an endless pit of despair just to show him what he was missing in life, before permanently killing him off, and laughing in his face. Like this day was just to give him a glimpse of who actually cared for him and who didn’t.

As thought after thought bombard the blondes mind, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep without even realizing it. He was awoken a few hours later by soft whispers he couldn’t identify and tried his hardest to listen to what they were saying. He knew Hermione was no longer in the room mainly due to the fact that he had somehow grown accustom to her presence near him. Her scent was also fading and he could no longer smell the gentle rose perfume he had smelled on her the first day he had kissed her.

He had wondered where she went but figured Harry or Ron had pressed her hard enough that she was forced to exit the room to freshen up and eat something. Which he was happy about, he just wished she would come back soon.

“His mother has been floo’d, correct? She’s on her way?” one of the voices asked softly, and although Draco could tell it was an elderly man, he was still having a hard time putting the voice to a face.

“Yes” the voice of Professor McGonagall answered. “She was vacationing with Andromeda Tonks in the States and has to get an emergent Portkey to return. It’ll be a few hours until she arrives, if not by tomorrow.”

“Oh, Andromeda you say?” the man asked pleasantly giving Draco enough information to know the elderly man was Professor Slughorn. “Wasn’t she burned off the Black family tree?”

“She was, but after the war Narcissa reconnected with her…You canceled the exam for the day, yes?”

“Ah, indeed” Slughorn answered most delicately. “None of the students except a few, seemed well enough to participate. I know Mr. Malfoy was not the most liked student, but his predicament has cast a fear in many students that ex-Death Eaters are to blame. I’ve even seen some crying over him and Ms. Granger…the poor girl, hasn’t left his room since she found him. If it wasn’t for Ms. Parkinson, she would most likely still be in here instead of downstairs finally eating something” he stated with a shake of his head.

‘Pansy got her to eat? I really need to give that girl more credit. I didn’t know she cared that much.’

“I still don’t understand how this happened” McGonagall questioned aloud. “There wasn’t a single lingering curse or spell used on the boy. How did he have so much damage done to him?”

Slughorn opened his mouth to speak but was quickly cut off by a soft knock at the door before it gently cracked open.

“Mr. Longbottom” the Headmistress said in surprise. “Why are you not downstairs with the rest of your classmates?” 

“Oh uh, Madam Pomfrey said it was time to give Malfoy another round of potions” he answered gently. “I volunteered because I was tired of hearing Sadie, Terry, and Lavender laugh about his misfortune. I can come back in a few minutes though…if you need some more time.”

‘They are laughing at me? Who the hell laughs at something like this? I wouldn’t even do that to someone when I was still a bully!’

“No, no” McGonagall stated with a wave of her hand. “Please, come in.”

Neville nodded his head as he fully walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He ambled over to the nightstand to the left of Draco and began measuring out the correct dosage needed of Skelegrow and the four pain potions he was told to provide the Slytherin. As he turned to look at Draco, he began to pour the elixirs into his mouth before he reached out and touched the Slytherin’s’ throat to help him swallow. As soon as his fingers stopped however, a sudden flash of a memory he couldn’t recall experiencing, raced to the forefront of his mind, causing his breath to grow heavy and his eyes to stare unseeingly frozen in shock.

“Mr. Longbottom? Is everything alright?” Slughorn asked as he tilted his body to get a better view of the Gryffindor.

‘You know; don’t you?’

“He’s supposed to help me…” the boy whispered before turning around and stared wide eyed at both Professors. “I don’t think someone did this to him…I-I think he did this to himself…He’s-he’s stuck!”

‘Fucking Longbottom! I would kiss you right now if I could fucking move!’

“I beg your pardon?” McGonagall inquired. “What do you mean…he did this to himself or that he’s stuck? No one can break every single bone in their body…unless…”

Neville looked to the Headmistress before glancing to Professor Slughorn; wondering whether or not it was okay to reveal certain information in front of him.

‘Just tell them. Tell them so I can go back to sleep…I’m so tired.’

“I, uh…Well…” he began nervously. “It wasn’t attempted suicide; at least not the kind you’re thinking of. Um…Do-do you remember that situation I had last year?”

“What situation? I’m not foll-Oh, Great Legendary Merlin! You don’t mean…” The Gryffindor nodded his head as Professor McGonagall gasped in shock and clutched a hand against her chest. “You’re certain? H-How many days?”

‘Fourteen…Wait…You mean to tell me that I don’t have to re-help Longbottom? But Potter never remembered…’

“I-I’m not exactly sure…I only saw a flash of a conversation I know I never had with him” Neville answered with a sorrowful frown. “But from his condition, Professor…I don’t think he has long. However, if his body is this badly damaged from a uh…a previous death…the ehm, the predicament he’s in…will give him a push to aid him slightly.”

‘Hold on, he didn’t touch me! Longbottom did! Is that all it takes? I just get him to touch me and I don’t have to go through explaining shite again and again? Huh…well that’s easy enough. And what does he mean aid me?’

“My Gods” McGonagall exclaimed in shock while Professor Slughorn looked on in complete confusion. “This gets out to no one; am I understood? We cannot have students in a panic or creating unreal hypothetical versions of what happened.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t quite fully understand” Slughorn interjected with a raised finger. “What exactly has happened to Mr. Malfoy?”

‘Can you lot go to another room to discuss this? I’m going back to sleep now and would rather you not wake me up again.’

“You won’t remember if I told you, Horace; best to just leave it at that. There isn’t anything we can do for him but heal his body of the trauma he’s sustained and pray to Merlin he can make it out of this mess…alive.”

06:15pm

“Mione, you can’t stay in this room forever!” Ron yelled in frustration, waking Draco from his slumber. “I don’t understand why you even want to stay in here anyway! He means nothing to us, so why are you wasting your time?”

‘Ugh, leave her alone, Weasley. Merlin you’re so fucking loud! Why are you so loud? And what the hell are you even doing in my room?’

“Lay off, Ron” Harry stated as he stood in front of Draco’s dresser with his arms crossed while shaking his head. “If she wants to be here for Malfoy then let her. It’s not like her staying by his side is hurting anyone and he may be a git at times, but he could use at least one person to care for him. No one else has really visited except his friends.”

‘Hm, maybe Potter isn’t such an insufferable prat as I thought…One point for Potter’

“The reason no one is here, is because no one likes him!” Ron retorted as Hermione lowered her forehead into her propped-up hand on the Slytherin’s bed. “He has put her through hell, why would she give a damn about Malfoy?”

“I…” Hermione finally said with a scoff “am right here! Stop talking about me like I can’t hear you!” she claimed while standing up from her chair and turning to face the red-head giving her a hard time. “Godric, Ron, just leave me alone! You’re acting worse than Lavender right now!”

“Lavender? You’re comparing me to Lavender?” Ron stated as his face turned red. “She may be my girlfriend, Mione, but don’t ever assume that I am anything like her!”

“I’m not assuming a single thing, Ronald! I am stating facts! You have been acting more and more like her every day! She’s a bad influence on you!”

“You’re just jealous because she and I have something real and you have what…Malfoy? A guy who would probably hex you on the spot if he knew you were even in here!”

‘I would never!’

“You don’t know anything about him!” Hermione rebutted in anger as she walked up to the red-head and pressed a finger into his chest.

“I know he doesn’t like you!” Ron claimed while throwing his hands in the air. “What, you think I didn’t know about your delusional crush? Everyone in the damn school knows, just like they all know that he will never reciprocate anything for you!”

‘Liar!’

“Ron, mate…Come on” Harry intervened in disappointment as Hermione’s eyes began to water. “That’s low.”

‘Listen to your friend, weasel! I swear…’

“But it’s true!” Ron replied callously before turning his attention back to Hermione. “All he does is push you away and I bet he laughs to himself every time he recalls the memory of you being tortured in his manor; just like everyone who hates his guts, is laughing at him right now!”

‘Whoa! Too far!’

“RON!” Harry shouted in annoyance as he stood up straight and pushed his way in between his friends. “That’s enough! No one downstairs hates him or is laughing at his situation! Stop trying to make something out of nothing! We get it, you hate the guy and you’re still pissed Hermione broke up with you, but she had her reasons so deal with it! There is absolutely no excuse for you to hurt her feelings just because you’re still bitter!”

‘Another point for Potter, he’s on a roll today!’

“Bitter?” Ron scoffed as he flicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Apparently, you haven’t noticed, Harry, but people are laughing! Yet, I’m not the one downstairs right now joking about how he most likely did this shite to himself! I’m not the one acting like Sadie right now, mocking and jesting, because she’s still pissed about what Malfoys’ father did to her sister during the war!”

‘Wait, what?’

“Seriously?” Harry replied as Hermione rubbed her fingers across her forehead before walking a few steps away from the boys. “Sadie has a legitimate reason for being angry, you don’t!”

‘What the hell did my father do?’

“I am allowed to be angry that I was dumped because the girl I am in love with left me for a guy with loads of money! Worst of all, he will never see her as anything more than a filthy little mud blood!”

‘Piss off you fucking weasel!’

“ENOUGH!” Hermione shouted as she whipped her body around; her cheeks turning cherry red while her hair began to crackle from the rage of her magic. The two Gryffindor’s stopped arguing instantly while they watched Hermione clench her fists tightly at her side before storming up to Ron with a waving finger. “This whole thing is a load of rubbish! I broke up with you because I saw our relationship going nowhere!” she claimed while cutting a hand through the air in anger. “All you wanted to do was talk about the war and-and Quidditch! You were only with me because we shared the same trauma and I just happened to be there! Anytime it ever came to something I wanted to do, you complained or-or you acted as if it was the most boring thing in the world! It had nothing to do with you being broke or Malfoy having money!”

‘One hundred points to Gryffindor! Hold on…he’s broke…Is that the push Longbottom was talking about?’

“That’s not true…” Ron replied benevolently.

“Oh, really?” Hermione declared as she crossed her arms. “You whined about being bored whenever I decided to sit down and read a book! You complained anytime I wanted to go out to have a meal in muggle London, you expected me to watch every single one of your matches against your brothers, and you insulted me whenever I refused to hop on your damn broom because I didn’t trust you enough to not drop me! That’s all you ever do, Ronald; you find ways to demean me when things don’t go the way you want them to! I didn’t break up with you because I wanted Malfoy; I broke up with you because you are-are toxic and you know what, I take it back…Lavender and you are perfect together. You both complement each other’s abase personalities!”

‘Gryffindor wins House Cup!’

“Mione, I-”

“Get out!” Hermione yelled as she pointed to the door and a tear trickled down her porcelain cheek. “Just…get out.”

“Mione” Ron pleaded.

“Ron” Harry interjected “I think it’s best if you just go. We’ll talk later, alright?”

The red-head glanced back and forth between his two friends in utter dismay before looking to the ground in defeat and walked out of the room. As soon as the door clicked closed, Hermione burst into tears as Harry quickly scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

‘Please don’t cry, love…He’s not worth it…’

“Shh, it’s okay” Harry whispered as he held tightly to his best friend. “It’s going to be okay” he claimed, pulling back from the hug to wipe the tears off the bookworms face. “But he has a point, Mione; you can’t stay in here forever. I know you really like him but-”

“You don’t get it, Harry” Hermione cut in as she brushed her fingers across her moistened cheek. “I can’t just leave him…I-I love him.”

‘What?’ Draco thought as his breath caught and his heart began to race, causing an aching feeling to besiege his entire body. ‘What did she say?’

“Mione…I can’t even begin to comprehend your feelings for the guy who made all of our lives miserable, but…I’m willing to try…for you. However, you need to clear you head. You’ve been in this room all day and there has been no change to his condition. You need a break.”

‘No, wait! She said she loves me! I need to tell her!’ the Slytherin yelled, but unfortunately, no one could hear him.

“I don’t need a break. I need him to wake up!” Hermione replied as she lowered her head into the soft tissue of Harrys’ shoulder.

‘I am awake! I’m awake dammit!’

“He will…I just don’t think it will be tonight…Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up and off to bed. You need some rest. It’s been a long day.”

‘NO! STOP! POTTER, STOP!’ Draco shouted in his head as he tried to move, causing pain to radiate his whole body, but he didn’t care; he had to tell Hermione…he loved her too.

The Gryffindor duo began to walk towards the door, forcing the Slytherin to fight with everything he had to move. Somehow, Draco had managed to raise his chest off the bed as he groaned loudly in sheer agony. The pain potions were beginning to wear off and the energy he was expelling to move began to cause absolute distress on his healing bones. However, the action made the pair stop in their tracks and race over to him.

Draco began to flail in anguish as the pain bombarded his mind and he could no longer think about anything else. Hermione quickly picked up his medication as Harry tried to hold the Slytherin Prince down to prevent him from doing any more damage. The bookworm began to pour the potions down Draco’s throat, one after the other, until the unexpected pain subsided and Draco’s body once again relaxed.

“Malfoy! Malfoy are you alright?” Hermione asked in a panic as Harry gently released his hold on Draco’s shoulders and she leaned over the Slytherin to check him over.

But a sudden memory rushed to the forefront of Harry’s mind, causing him to almost fall backwards in shock. It was like he was reliving flashes of a conversation he didn’t remember having, with a guy he could have sworn would never freely give him advice. But there it was, clear as day as if I just happened only moments ago.

Harry stood up straight with wide eyes as he looked at Draco in confusion. While Hermione gently caressed the Slytherin’s cheek with the back of her hand, Harry shook the memory from his head and looked to Hermione with a heavy breath.

‘Did it work? He touched me? Someone say something, I can’t see him!’

“Is-is Ginny pregnant?” he asked in wonder.

‘YES! Merlin, thank you!’

Hermione snapped her head to the boy-who-lived in complete surprise as her jaw dropped and her eyes began to bulge. Draco groggily rotated his head towards the sound of voices while struggling to open his eyes, but he could only make out the silhouettes of the two Gryffindor’s in his bedroom.

‘Salazar, what the hell did Hermione give me? It’s blurring everything…Wait a second…shite! Doesn’t one of those potions contain Valerian sprigs? Ah, fuck me! That’s why I’ve been so tired? I’ve been drugged with a pain potion that includes a sedative!’

“Ho-how did you find out? She only just told me a few hours ago…She said she didn’t tell you yet because-”

“She’s afraid I’ll leave her?” Harry quickly cut in “I-I-”

“Harry? How did you find out?” 

‘Don’t...fall…asleep…I want…to hear…thi…’

“I need to speak to Ginny!” Harry stated as his eyes darted back and forth and he lowered his head while a hundred thoughts raced through his mind. “I-I have to tell her I won’t leave her!” he claimed, lifting his head rather quickly.

“Harry, just calm down” Hermione stated gently as she stood up and Draco drifted off into a deep slumber. “I-I don’t know how you figured it out or why you’re suddenly bringing it up now, but you have plenty of time to speak with her. Just let her have some fun tonight. Talk with her tomorrow after everything has settled and you’ve had some time to really think about it all.”

“This is all too much…” the Chosen One declared as he ran his fingers through his black hair. “First Malfoy gets attacked, then that-that fight with Ron and you…and now Ginny. What the hell is going on, Mione?”

“I don’t know. But tomorrow is a new day so let’s just focus on making it until then. You go have fun at the Ball and-”

“I’m not leaving you here alone, Mione” Harry interrupted. “You need to get out of here. I don’t care if it’s to go to bed or-or attend the Ball. You need a breather.”

“I’ll be fine, Harry. Don’t worry about me. Besides, Malfoy was able to move which means his body is healing well. If he fully wakes up tonight…well, at least he won’t wake up alone with no one here to support him. Someone needs to stay with him.”

“Hermione…”

“No, Harry. This is not up for debate” Hermione claimed while holding up a hand. “I’m staying and that’s final. Now go have a blast with the girl who loves you and just…let me be here for Malfoy.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me” Harry stated with a sigh.

“What?”

“Mione, you keep calling him Malfoy when we both know you want to call him Draco. You told me your true feelings so there’s no reason to hide it…at least not in front of me. I support you and every choice you make because unlike Ron, I know you don’t jump into things lightly. Besides…I have a strong feeling he may actually like you more than you think.”

“I-I don’t understand…” the curly-haired witch expressed with a raised brow. “Why are you saying this now and not when Ron went off about Mal-I mean, Draco, not liking me?”

“Because I didn’t know then…Call it a gut feeling or maybe even a very strange intuition, but I feel like he told me…I just can’t recall when. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Point is, I can’t change your mind or force you to do anything you don’t want, but at least I can say I tried. If you’re going to stay in here, then do me a favor and try to get some rest. You look completely worn and it worries me.”

“I appreciate you caring about me, Harry, but I’ll be okay…I promise” she smiled warmly. “Now go, have fun. And tell Ron to bugger off if he even thinks about wanting to come back in here!”

“I’ll do my best” he chuckled before walking over to the door. “Love you…” he whispered with his hand on the doorknob.

“I love you too, Harry…Now go…Please.”

With that being said, Harry smiled softly before opening the door and walking out, leaving Hermione once again alone in the room with the Slytherin. Draco stirred in his sleep in discomfort as the pain potions tried to ease the agonizing achiness of his bones re-growing. Hermione felt sympathy for the blonde resting in his pajamas, so she walked over to him and pulled up the covers to his chest before sitting on the edge of the bed.

She knew Draco would probably shout at her or curse her if he ever knew she was in his room, let alone sitting on his bed, however she couldn’t bring herself to walk away. She had grown accustom to the arguments he picked and knew that he didn’t mean half the things he had ever said to her. She could see it in his eyes, the burnt-out rage, the self-loathing misery, the guilt he possessed, and she still managed to someone how fall for him.

Hermione could see the scared boy deep inside; she had seen it for years, even if he couldn’t. And it’s not like he wanted to hurt her…no…she knew he didn’t because every time he tried to insult her or belittle her, she could see the sadness behind his ocean grey eyes…unlike Ron’s who never seemed to possess even a strand of sympathy.

Draco was depressed, there was no doubt about that, and Hermione knew it wasn’t because of the war. She knew because the day she saw him break his mold and that scared little boy appeared, was the day she was tortured on his Drawing Room floor by his sadistic Aunt…the day that haunted both of them.

If only he would talk to her about it…she would tell him that she was fully aware he had no choice but to stand watch rather than help her. She was more than willing to tell him every day since school started back up, that she realized he wasn’t at fault like Ron and others have said. He had no choice and if he would just speak with her, she would tell him…she forgave him.

Draco groaned as the pain potions ran threw his veins to soothe his brittle bones, causing Hermione to pull away from her thoughts and shed a silent tear for the blonde in pain. Without thinking, the Gryffindor rotated her body and laid down next to the Slytherin Prince. If she couldn’t take away his pain, the least she could do is offer him some comfort; let him know he was safe in some way.

She didn’t touch him as she rolled to her side and slid her right hand under the pillow her head was resting on. The last thing she wanted to do was wake Draco only to have him panic and hurt both of them with his flailing. Instead she watched him as he slowly began to calm and his breath became strong and steady once more. Before she knew it however, sleep overtook the Gryffindor Golden Girl and her head steadily drifted closer and closer to the Slytherin.

11:55pm

Draco’s eyes suddenly burst open as an unknown force stirred him awake. He couldn’t recall what caused him to wake up but he had a flutter in his stomach and a thought in his mind that made him feel like he was supposed to be up right now.

Turning his head to the left, hair caught in his mouth and he sputtered the strands away from his lips in confusion and disgust. He wanted to push the person laying atop him away, but he realized after a few seconds that the person laying curled against him…was Hermione.

His breath caught in his throat as his heart began to beat faster and a smile formed on his perfect pale lips. Problem was however, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. The only person he had ever shared a bed with before was Theo, and that was only when his friend snuck out in the middle of the night to escape his tyrant father over the summer and holidays…The idea of a girl in his bed was completely new, but knowing she was sleeping on him was terrifying…yet exciting.

Glancing up at the clock on the nightstand, he noted the time read 11:56pm and Draco had to hold back from sitting up straight to celebrate. It was the first time in all his repetitive days that he had made it to almost midnight. He didn’t die or get knocked out, nor did he run into any major issues that would cause him to lose everything he had worked so hard to gain. A large grin spread across his face as he wrapped his healed arms around Hermione and brought her closer to his body. The Gryffindor snuggled into his chest but didn’t wake from the pull and he silently kissed the top of her hair.

Draco’s heart swelled with affection as he looked at the bookworm wrapped in his arms before caressing the side of her face with his fingertips. He strongly wondered why he had never given her a chance before, but then he remembered the guilt that had played at his heart strings, causing him to fall into a deep depression in the first place.

She was the reason he kept to himself…she was the reason he hated everything about his actions and who he was as a person. Hermione Granger was the everyday reminder, that he was a failure. Yet she loved him. She said it herself, and he couldn’t for the life of him help but wonder…why? He had been nothing but a prat to her; a selfish egotistical git that should, by anyone’s standards, be unlovable…but she loves him.

And he loves her…

Draco leaned down slightly and laid a gentle lingering kiss on Hermione’s forehead before pulling her closer to his body once more.

“I love you too, Hermione…I love you too…”

He glanced back up at the clock and waited for the hands to strike twelve so he could cheerfully celebrate his victory. Just as the big hand touched the number he longed for, a memory from two weeks prior flashed before his eyes; one where Theo recounted information about time-loops.

‘Well, in the movies, the day either resets by the clock hitting 12:00am or…or the person dies and comes back…’

“No…” Draco’s eyes widened as he watched the clock strike midnight and the second hand abruptly froze in place. “No, please no!” he whispered aloud.

He waited for the second hand to resume clockwise formation, but to his displeasure the hand clicked counter-clockwise once before suddenly dropping as if it no longer had any control. Hermione slowly began to shift backwards away from him giving Draco enough room to sit up and watch in distress as everything that occurred that day began to rewind.

Hermione sat up and looked down at him causing Draco to turn around to see himself faintly laying on the bed asleep. She touched his cheek before pulling away as the clock continued to reverse and Harry walked backwards into the room.

“NO!”

Before he knew it, Ron was back and he stared in discontent as the argument settled and Hermione went back to sitting next to him like nothing had ever occurred.

“NO, NO, NO, NO! STOP! PLEASE STOP! I’LL GET IT RIGHT, JUST STOP!” he shouted as he knelt on his sheets and panicked.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, and Neville entered the room and talked in reverse so quickly, Draco couldn’t keep up. Then they abruptly left one at a time and Pansy appeared with Hermione before their conversation occurred.

One after another after another, people left and entered his room as his faded body lay motionless behind him and all Draco could do was watch in horror as his entire day reset.

“No!” he sobbed into his hands. “Please, I’ll fix it…Please stop…”

A swift force pushed the Slytherin Prince down onto his bed and he shut his eyes tightly as he cried his eyes out before everything…went dead quiet.

“Draco!” Theo bellowed from the other side of the wooded entryway “Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!” 

Draco sat up straight with a heavy breath and looked around the room. Determination creased the lines in his forehead and he thought long and hard about his next move. Standing up, he answered Theo before looking at himself in the mirror. Lifting his white shirt, Draco noticed the healing spells and potions hadn’t reversed and the large Lichtenberg scar that once covered his chest, was no longer there.

Lowering his shirt, the blonde gazed into the mirror as he planned everything he was going to do today…down to the very last detail.

“This is it, Draco…This is your last chance…It’s now or never…”


	11. Finish Line- Part 1

Chapter 11- Finish Line- Part 1

Friday October 29th, 1999 07:25am

“Winky!” Draco yelled into the air; trying to summon the only house elf he could remember the name of. “Winky, dammit, I need your help!”

A loud pop erupted from behind the Slytherin making him turn around and take a deep breath as he smirked happily.

“What cans Winky help Mr. Draco with, sir?” the house elf asked with a bow of her head.

“Winky, I need you to do me a favor, but first…do you know if we have a school handbook or-or something that has the rules and guidelines for students and Professors?”

“I’s believe we dos, sir. Would Mr. Draco wish Winky to gets him a copy?”

“Yes, please. Then I will need another favor from you…if that’s alright?”

“Of course, sir!” Winky gleamed at the Slytherin’s kindness. “Winky wills be right back!”

The house elf quickly disappeared with a pop as Draco ran to his closet and changed. Before the elf returned however, he opened up the secret cabinet in the back to make sure the bottle of Firewhisky was still there, before writing something down on a piece of parchment. When Winky returned with a large tomb, he quickly thanked her, and handed her the note to give to a specific person.

Winky nodded her head and smiled widely before popping out of the room to leave Draco to his reading. The Slytherin scanned the pages until he found what he was looking for, and then he shut the book with a snap, and headed downstairs.

“Draco!” Pansy called out in glee as she stood up from the couch facing the West fireplace “Took you long enough; we were beginning to think you died up there.”

“I was just doing a bit of light reading, Pans. No need to worry, love” he claimed with a large grin before Hermione walked out of her room with an armful of books.

Draco turned his body to his right before she crashed into him and quickly reached out a hand.

“Got enough books there, Granger?” he smirked as he took two from the top of the pile and scanned the titles. “History of Potions and Magical Guide to Brew Your Way to Victory…”

“Can I have my books back, please?” Hermione asked in embarrassment and annoyance as Draco held the books above his head when she reached out to retrieve them. “Malfoy, come on, I need to study!”

“You don’t need these to pass Potions, Granger” he stated while lowering his arm and handed her back her property. “If you really want to top the best in the class, then you’re going to need to learn from the best.”

“Snape isn’t here anymore, so I-”

“I meant me…” he claimed gently, making Hermione drop her shoulders and raise a brow in confusion. “I’m really good at it and I can give you a few pointers…if you want…”

“Um, y-yeah…su-ure, okay” she smiled nervously. “I mean, if you have time…

“I always have time…” Draco smiled warmly as he stepped out of the way and let Hermione walk down the stairs first. He trailed after her and when she went right to sit at the desk to begin her quick study session, he went left and sat down in his usual seat on the couch.

“Hey Draco!” Theo grinned with a small wave. “You seem to be in a better mood today.”

“I am, Theo! A great mood actually! I have a feeling that today is going to be a good one-oh by the way, you might not want to sit there.” he answered with pursed lips.

“Why? I always sit here.”

“Just trust me. You’ll thank me later.”

“Oh-kay…” Theo replied in a perplexed tone before standing up to sit between Draco and Pansy.

‘Now to just go through the day like normal…but I think I’ll change a few things…just to spice it up’

Harry, Ron, and Lavender took their seats like normal as Pansy perked up and looked at the people in the room.

“So, who’s excited for tonight?” she asked, throwing Draco slightly off.

‘So…because I don’t look like I’m depressed, the entire conversation changes? I really had that big of an impact on everyone?’

“Ugh” Ron groaned as he threw his head back in annoyance. “Why are you making us all go to this thing, Parkinson? Is it because you want us all to suffer listening to you and Zabini singing a mash-up? We’ve heard enough of you practicing every night. I think we’re good on hearing the ear bleeding notes.”

“Wow, Weasley” Draco cut in irritated. “Sounds a little pretentious for someone still pinning for a girl he can never have again…Bitter much?”

“Stay out of this, Malfoy?” Ron demanded callously while his cheeks turned a blushing red. “Why don’t you just piss off back to your damn room where you’re actually wanted, you low life scum?”

“Whoa oh oh!” Draco laughed as Theo stood up and glared at the Gryffindor. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. You kiss your mother with that mouth?” he scoffed while leaning back. “Like I said…Bitter.”

Ron stood up to attack the Slytherin, but Harry quickly grabbed the red-head and forced him to sit back down as Draco smirked and crossed his arms victoriously. Theo clicked his tongue against the inside of his lip before slowly retaking his seat…his baleful glare never once wavering from Ron.

“It’s fine, Theo…Weasley doesn’t have the strength to knock me out anyway. Granger throws a better punch than he ever will…Don’t you, love?” Draco asked while tilting his chin towards the confused curly-haired brunette, who turned around with a shy perplexed gaze. “Anyway…” Draco clapped his hands on his thighs before standing up “I’m gonna go to breakfast; you coming, Theo?”

Theo rose from his seat and moved to walk towards the portrait when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

“I should grab my books before heading down…Meet you out side, yeah?” he said before walking towards the stairs, giving Draco an idea.

“Wait up, mate. I have a proposition for you.”

Draco quickly caught up to his friend, who raised a brow in interest, and walked up the stairs towards the brunettes’ dorm. Once they entered the room, five doors down from Dracos’ against the South wall, the students below continued their conversation leading to Hermione storming out, due to Lavenders’ virgin joke.

The two Slytherin’s talked in the black and silver colored bedroom as Theo gathered his books before heading back downstairs and out the portrait door.

“Soooo, let me just rerun this back again” Theo declared with a raised finger, however Ron quickly ran past the duo before he could continue and tripped over his own feet, sending the Gryffindor flying to the floor. “Ha! Serves him right!” he laughed as he stepped around the red-head scrambling to stand up. “Anyway…so you want me to put up a spell so that no one can leave the Common Room after we get back from class, and then suggest we all play a game…that involves Firewhisky?”

“Yes…Granger helped you study for Charms, right?” the brunette nodded his head “Okay, so you should be well versed in boundary spells.”

“Yeeahh…I’m still not following though. How did you even know she helped me with that exam? And if what you told me earlier, about something happening in Potions…wouldn’t everyone object to playing?”

“That’s why I want you to suggest it.” Draco answered as they rounded the corner and witnessed Ginny yelling at some underclassmen. “And I guessed at her helping you. She’s the best in that class and somehow for a person who never studies…you passed that exam with a perfect O.”

“Okay, but how exactly am I going to convince people to play when they’re going to hate you. And you won’t even tell me why they’re going to attack you.”

“It’ll come to you. You’re resourceful, Theo. The Sorting Hat doesn’t put just anyone in to our house.”

“Why can’t you just tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Because…hold on…” Draco stopped walking to watch the Ravenclaw girl slap her boyfriend across the face before storming off towards her group of friends. “Sorry,” he chuckled “that’ll never get old. Any who, I don’t want to play all my cards at once. You’ll find out later today though, I promise” he claimed as he ducked his head to the side when the snitch, flying freely through the corridor, zoomed passed the pair.

Harry like always, jumped into the air and caught the golden ball before looking around the hall for the culprit to no avail. He pocketed the snitch before shaking his head and walked into the Great Hall, making Draco half-grin in satisfaction.

Once he and Theo entered the Dining area, they took their seats and waited for Blaise and Pansy to arrive. After breakfast was served, Draco scarfed down as much as he could eat while his friends eyed him in disgust at the mess his was making.

“Uh, Draco?” Pansy began as she lowered the sausage link in her hand back down to the plate in front of her. “Do you need to be somewhere or something? I’ve never seen you eat so fast or even more than Theo for that matter.”

“I do actually” he answered after swallowing his mouth full of food. “Long story.”

“ENOUGH, LAVENDER!”

Everyone in the hall went quiet as they looked over at Hermione standing at the Gryffindor table with a face so red, she looked like she was about to explode. Draco played along like he did the first day he experienced the outburst, and waited for Hermione to leave and Pansy to speak up.

“Ugh! Just leave me alone!” the Golden Girl shouted in anger before she collected her things and stormed off with a worried Ginny following swiftly behind her.

Pansy turned back around, clicked her tongue, and began picking at her eggs.

“Well…I guess we all can assume what that was about” she smirked before taking a bite of the food in front of her.

“I don’t follow” Draco lied as he took a bite of bacon.

“Oh, right” Blaise cut in “you weren’t there. Apparently, Brown did another one of her virgin jokes in the Common Room when you and Theo went upstairs. She really is quite the hypocrite if I do say so myself. I heard she hasn’t even had sex with Weasley yet, making her…a virgin still too.”

“Actually, Blaise…” Draco smirked as he looked down at his plate and stirred the left-over syrup with a strip of bacon. “I heard differently…but you’ll find that out soon enough” he chortled before looking up and taking a bite of the meat in his hand. “Gotta go, I’ll see you guys in class” he claimed while dusting off his hands and standing up.

“Wait” Theo said while rotating his body to view his friend behind him. “You’re not going to hang out with us before class? Pans said she had our costumes ready and since we didn’t get a chance to go over them before breakfast…”

“I’ll see it afterwards, mate.”

“So, you’re going?” Pansy asked with a large smile.

“Yeah…but I might need you to change what I’m going as…I’ll let you know. I really gotta go though.”

Draco waved to his friends before exiting the Great Hall at a swift pace. Instead of running after Hermione like he so desperately wanted to, he turned left instead of right and headed down towards the dungeons.

‘Please nothing kill me. I beg you, anyone listening, please have nothing kill me…’

The Slytherin Prince passed the kitchens as he made his way to the Potions classroom and quickly brought out his wand. Preforming the unlocking charm on the wooden barrier, he slipped inside the empty room and marched up to the front. He began to dig through every drawer in the Professors desk before summoning the specific potion he was looking for. To his surprise, the colorless draught wasn’t locked away and had been peacefully resting on a shelf in the corner of the room near the blackboard.

‘Why the hell didn’t I think to do this shite before? Would have saved me so much time…Then again, I wouldn’t have gained the Intel I needed. Hmm, better late than never, I guess.’

Holding the vile in his fingertips, Draco examined the clear liquid before placing it in his pocket and rushing out of the room. Speeding down the halls, he almost crashed into a few roaming students as he made his way towards the Common Room, but managed to make it to his destination without being stopped.

Hermione and Ginny luckily were not in the room when Draco arrived, so he walked up the stairs to his dorm and pulled the vile out of his pocket before placing it in the hidden compartment in his closet. For the next couple of hours, he continued to read the school handbook until he heard the knock that put a smile on his face.

“Malfoy?” Hermione’s soft voice spoke “It’s Hermione…I-”

Draco scrambled off his bed and quickly opened his door, surprising the Gryffindor slightly.

‘Shite, Now what?’

“Hi” he nervously said while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

‘Stupid, Draco…Hi? Really? That’s all you could come up with?’

“Uh…Hi” she replied in confusion. “Um, I-I just wanted to let you know that Potions was starting shortly…in case you were sleeping.

“Oh, I wasn’t sleeping…”

‘Merlin, this again? You’re supposed to be changing this day, not repeating the same conversations over and over!’

“Oh…”

“I was reading actually.”

‘Better’

“Oh? What book?”

“The school handbook…I know it’s boring…” he chuckled slightly.

“No, it’s not” she smiled softly. “It’s nice that someone other than me is taking an interest in the rules of this place. Were you looking for something specific at all? Maybe I can help…I mean, it’s the least I can do after you offered to give me a few pointers in potions.”

“No, I think I’m good, thanks though.”

“No problem” she beamed before lowering her head and blushed. “I…I should get going. Don’t wanna be late” she finished before turning to walk away.

“Hey wait, Granger…”

“Yeah?” she asked as she stopped and faced him while biting her lower lip nervously.

Draco tensed up at the sight of her action and had to hide the lower half of his body behind the door.

‘Salazar, she really needs to stop doing that!’

“Uh…ehem…I uh…Wh-what do you know about the Unbreakable Vow? Not the vow itself, but the use of it on school grounds? I can’t seem to find it in the book” he lied. It was the very first thing he found during his search; he just wanted to talk with the brunette a little while longer.

“Um, well it’s forbidden. It’s cause for immediate expulsion to anyone who is found making it on school grounds…You’re not planning to-”

“No! No, I was just wondering. I heard a rumor that someone was planning on making it with another student, so I wanted to look up the rules. What would happen exactly if one of the people, let’s say, didn’t want to make the vow but someone forced them to? Would they get in trouble?” he questioned, honestly not knowing the answer.

‘Like if I had Theo make the vow with Brown…but it would be difficult to get Theo to agree to do it…I also don’t even know if she made that vow with Longbottom on school grounds…Fucking hell, this is so fucked! Why me?’

“They might be exempt depending on the circumstances, but which student, Malfoy? That has to be reported, immediately!”

“I will once I figure out everything. Don’t want to jump the sword before even finding out all the details first” he grinned. “Anyway, I think it might have just been a joke between students.”

“Gun…” Hermione corrected with a small chuckle.

“What?” he asked raising a brow.

“It’s gun, Malfoy. The saying is ‘you don’t want to jump the gun’. You said sword.”

“Oh...Does it really matter?”

“Sort of…” she shrugged. “But only if you look back at the origin of the phrase; basically, it alludes to starting to run in a foot race before the starting gun goes off.”

“Ah…So, jumping the gun…Got it.”

“Do you need anything else?” she questioned sweetly.

“No, but uh...thanks, Hermione.” ‘Shite!’ “I’ll-I’ll see you in class.”

“Oka-”

Draco quickly shut his door when he realized he almost ruined his own plan by calling the Gryffindor by her first name and held his breath as he waited for her footsteps to dissipate. After she walked away, he released his breath before scrambling to get his books in order to throw in his over-the-shoulder bag.

Standing in front of his bedroom door, Draco sucked in a deep breath as he closed his eyes and mentally prepared for the next part of his mission. He had decided to allow himself to be blamed for the potion mishap that was about to occur; not because he wanted to, but because the only way the person responsible could go down, was if they already preformed the deed. He just hoped his plan didn’t fail in the end.

On his way to the dungeons, the Slytherin spotted Harry and Neville walking down the hall and an idea began to form in his mind. Swiftly running to catch up to the pair, Draco reached out both hands and touched the back of the Gryffindors bare necks causing both boys to suddenly freeze.

‘Please work, please work, please work…’

Walking around to the front of the pair, Draco watched as their fixed gazes settled and they shook their heads in confusion.

“What the hell?” Harry asked as he looked to Neville perplexed.

“Ma-Malfoy…” Neville began in a stutter. “Di-did you just-Are you-What the-”

‘Thank fucking Merlin!’

“Yes and yes” Draco cut in quickly. “I don’t have time to fully explain everything, but I need some help…from both of you.”

“I’m sorry, what the hell just happened?” Harry questioned in bewilderment. “Why do I remember a conversation I know for a fact, I didn’t have with you? And why do I have the sudden urge to speak with Ginny?”

“It will all be explained later today, I promise, but right now I need you both to make sure Brown and Boot are in the Common Room after class.”

“Malfoy-”

“Potter, please” he pleaded “I need you to do this for me. I have never asked anything from either of you and yes, I don’t deserve the assistance, but I am desperate here, and those two won’t listen to me or my friends.”

“I’ll make sure Boot is in the room” Neville chimed in, making Harry furrow his brows in confusion. “It’s to help Mione, Harry…I know it sounds crazy, but I think he’s being genuine about this.”

“How do you know he’s asking this to help Hermione?”

“Because…” Draco interrupted “Brown has been badgering and-and teasing Granger about being a virgin ever since we returned to school and I’m sick of hearing it” he half lied. “I just want to get everyone together to work it all out and make it to stop. I’m sure even you are tired of the constant fighting and I have a plan to fix it…I hope.”

“You hope?” Harry questioned while crossing his arms. “Since when did you become such a Hufflepuff and care about who is fighting?”

“Harry, just make sure Lavender is in the room…please?” Neville requested with a sigh. “I think we all would like the bickering between houses come to an end.”

“I don’t know” the raven-haired boys scoffed as he released his arms “What if this just makes things worse-”

“It won’t” the Slytherin added.

Harry sighed deeply as he looked back and forth between Draco and Neville before relaxing his shoulders.

‘Please, Potter…I really need you to do this’

“Okay, fine. I’ll make sure Lavender is in the Common Room.”

‘Yes!’

“Great!” Draco exclaimed as he patted Harry on the arm once. “Thanks Potter!”

"Ugh, don't do that. Man, I really thought hearing you finally say those words to me would make me ecstatic, but honestly…it's just made me a little uncomfortable."

“Trust me, Potter, the feeling is mutual…By the way, Longbottom, be careful putting the Goblin’s Blood back up on the shelf” he advised with a wink, before walking away from the duo; knowing full well that Neville knew he was stuck in a loop after he touched him.

02:06pm

Draco waited patiently through the course of the exam until the right moment he was to enact his plan. Originally, he was going to warn Hermione about the added ingredient and tell her to let it happen when a thought composed and he changed his mind last minute to perform an act that would end up altering the day he had adapted to.

The Golden Girl knocked her elbow into her Nightshade and hastily bent down to clean it up. As she hunched over the mess on the floor, Draco gripped his wand beneath the table after watching the Fluxweed fall. Flicking his wrist, he sent a nonverbal switching spell at Hermione’s cauldron…instantly trading the substances within a blink of an eye.

The curly-haired bookworm stood back up and briefly smiled at him before turning to her elixir to complete it; unknowing that he selflessly gave her his own perfectly brewed potion. A faint glow began to emit from the Gryffindor’s body before softly surrounding her with a white light. Draco smirked in satisfaction of another task completed before bringing up his wand to perform the spell to activate the tampered draught.

As he hoped, the smoke turned black while Hermione's turned white and he silently cheered in his head. But Hermione gasped in shock causing Draco’s heart to drop into his stomach and he turned his head to make sure her potion was still good.

‘What now?’

“Malfoy…your potion!” she whispered loudly.

“Oh” he sighed in relief “Yeah…I-I must have added too much Acromantula Venom or something…Happens sometimes” he lied.

“That’s not possible!” Draco looked at Hermione in confusion, because to him, it was perfectly logical that too much of an ingredient could be added…until Hermione said the one thing he wasn’t expecting to hear. “You’re the best at potions, Malfoy. For you to mess up something like that is like me forgetting a charm…it doesn’t happen.”

“Is…that a compliment?”

“No…Yes…Maybe…I don’t know. It was just an observation…”

“Oh? I just-I assumed you never paid attention enough to know if…I was good or not…” he claimed softly.

“Well, it’s not like you could really hide that sort of skill from me…You’re getting off topic here, Malfoy-”

“Draco…” he cut in gently while Hermione looked at him in surprise. “Call me Draco…please?”

‘Damn, I’ve said please more times today than I think I have my entire life…This time-loop is changing the shite out of me!’

“Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger” Slughorn interrupted, causing both students to quickly glance up at the Professor. “Is there a problem?”

“No” Draco answered, but Hermione hastily replied ‘yes’ making him curse inside his head…until another idea came to mind. “Actually, yes Professor. It seems something is amiss with my potion.”

“Your potion, Mr. Malfoy? Impossible!” Slughorn stated in bewilderment.

“Told you” Hermione whispered as she leaned slightly to her right, forcing a smile to briefly form on the Slytherin Prince’s lips.

Professor Slughorn marched over to their table and looked at Draco’s draught in sorrow.

“You’re my best student in this class…I don’t understand…” the professor looked off to his right at Hermione’s cauldron and took note of the Fluxweed powered lying on her station. Taking a step, he placed himself in front of her causing Draco to begin to sweat nervously.

“Professor!” he yelled, trying to distract Slughorn long enough to not ruin his plan. “Sorry, sir…Um, do you mind if I talk with you in private?”

Slughorn raised a brow in confusion, but nodded his head as Draco moved from behind the table. The pair talked quietly outside of the classroom making a few students furrow their brows in confusion. Draco admittedly told the Professor what was happening and surprisingly the elderly man accepted his words. The Slytherin thought it would take a lot more to convince the Potion teachers of the mishap he landed himself into, but Slughorn seemed to understand what happened and knew Draco had to figure things out on his own.

The Slytherin Professor let Draco off on a warning and allowed Hermione to keep the swapped potions due to Prince’s pleas that her draught would have been perfect if it wasn’t for the added ingredient. The only thing he required in return, was for Draco to figure out who was responsible, which the blonde told him would be sorted out before the end of the night; right before telling the man he would win the bet between Professors.

Slughorn nodded his head before walking back into the room and dismissing the class. On the way back to the Common Room, Harry and Neville both completed their tasks of getting the Ravenclaw and Ron’s girlfriend to stay in the room while Theo sneakily put up a boundary charm to keep everyone inside.

As the students gathered and talked amongst themselves, Draco ran upstairs with Theo following steadily behind him to grab the Firewhisky. Without Theo’s knowledge, Draco slipped some of the odorless potion he had obtained earlier, into the alcohol before handing it over to his friend.

“So, I just suggest a game, right?” Theo asked as he studied the bottle in his hand.

“Yeah…” Draco answered while running his fingers through his hair. “Whatever you do though, you start it off…and make it good” he finished, knowing full well the game the brunette Slytherin would pick.

“Didn’t you say they were going to hate you or something? No one seems to be pissed down there, well besides Weasley, but he’s always mad about something.”

“That’s because I changed my plan slightly. Just make sure to not give any to Longbottom. It’s a long story, but I need to make sure he doesn’t have any.”

“Uhh…okay…That’s a little rude though, don’t you think? Why is everyone else getting a shot but not him?”

“I’ll talk to him don’t worry. Just be sure everyone takes a sip, alright?”

Draco looked to the clock resting on his end table behind Theo who looked perplexed as he lifted the bottle again to study it, and noted the time was now 2:45pm. He had fifteen minutes to get everything in order so he quickly shoved Theo out of his room and closed the door behind him.

“Hey you lot!” Theo exclaimed as Draco rolled his eyes at the top of the stairs. “Guess what I got!” he yelled as he held up the bottle of Firewhisky. “I think before we all get ready for the Ball, we do a little pre-gaming! Everyone except Longbottom has to drink at least one shot! I don’t trust that he won’t fall over and get us all in trouble for splitting his head open…No offense, mate.” Neville raised a brow as everyone in the room except Hermione, who dropped her shoulders in defeat, gleamed with happiness.

Draco walked over to Neville as Theo conjured thirteen tall shot glasses and began filling them half-way. Ginny eyed the glasses skeptically as she rubbed her stomach subconsciously causing Draco to freeze momentarily as he recalled her condition. Luckily, Hermione took the glass from her hand, and dumped it into her own, before anyone could notice. Ginny then covered her glass with her hand so no one would see it was empty as Draco shook his head.

‘Why the hell did I forget that she would be here after class? Stupid, Draco! Stupid!’

Leaning over the back of the couch that Neville was sitting on, Draco quickly whispered in his ear before figuring out his next move.

“I know about your vow…” he spoke softly. “Do not drink any of that alcohol, do you understand me? I don’t wanna repeat this day again because I accidentally got you killed. I am going to help you, so just play along, alright?”

Neville’s eyes widened as he nodded his head in understanding before Draco stood up straight and took the outstretched glass from Theo’s hand. He nonchalantly walked over to Hermione and stood next to her before holding out his hand.

“Cheers!” he declared with a smirk as everyone clinked their glasses together and downed their shot.

However, before Hermione could take the double shot, Draco grabbed the glass from her hand while everyone was distracted, and drank it before handing it back to her, and downing his own.

‘I’m not going to let her take both of those because I was forgetful. Besides, this part isn’t for her…Well it is, but it isn’t…’

“You’ll thank me later” he whispered before walking away from her and the confused look she was giving off.

“Oh, I have an idea!” Theo announced with a large grin. “Let’s play Truth or Dare! Longbottom, you can play too if you want, I won’t deny you that.”

“Alright” Neville agreed, knowing that if he backed out then others would too.

“I’ll start… Theo continued. “Pansy…” The raven-haired Slytherin girl looked to Theo and tapped her shot glass with her pointer finger as she waited for the question to start off the game. “Truth…or Dare?”

“Dare” she answered firmly with a mischievous smile.

“Alright…I dare you tooooo…kiss any girl in this room, on the lips, for five seconds!”

“Any girl…of my choosing?” she asked with a raised half-smile while setting her empty glass down.

“Any girl” he answered.

“Okay” she claimed firmly before walking the length of the couch over to Ginny.

The red-head’s eyes widened as Pansy leaned in and placed her lips on hers. After five seconds were up, Pansy pulled back and winked as every guy in the room jaws dropped and most of the girls looked on in disgust.

“That’s my sister, Parkinson!” Ron yelled in anger after he wiped the stunned look from his face.

“What? She’s hot” Pansy shrugged as she walked back over to her boyfriend who looked to be drooling from the action.

“O-okay, Pans” Theo stuttered as he shook the inappropriate thoughts from his mind. “Your turn.”

“Alright, let’s see…Potter” she said while pointing her finger at the Boy-Who-Lived. “Truth or Dare?”

“Uh well, I don’t really trust Slytherin’s and their dares…no offense” he chuckled. “So, truth.”

“If you had to name someone in this room other than your girlfriend, to hook up with, who would you pick?”

“That’s easy, Sadie” he blurted out before quickly covering his mouth with his hand.

Everyone looked at Harry in shock at his quick answer as Hermione tilted her head to the side before looking to Draco with furrowed brows.

“Well that was unexpected…” Pansy claimed with a tilt of her head. “Anyway…your turn, I guess.”

Harry lowered his hand to reveal his redden cheeks and turned his attention to Draco across the room while avoiding the death glare Ginny was giving him.

“Malfoy…Uh, Truth or Dare?”

‘Finally!’

“Truth” the Slytherin answered while crossing his arms.

“Um…okay uh…”

“Any day now, Potter” Blaise chortled.

“Sorry, um…Okay, uh, wh-what did you and Professor Slughorn talk about in the hallway during class?”

“Really, Potter?” Blaise questioned while crossing his arms. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

“It’s fine, Blaise” Draco cut in with a raised hand. “I’ll answer…but once I do, it’ll become my turn and I think I’ll switch the game up a little. Make it…more interesting. I told Slughorn that I saw someone tampering with Granger’s potion, so I switched hers with mine so she would pass the class, and I wouldn’t get blamed for it” he stated as a matter of fact while walking closer to the circle of stunned peers. “You see, I am stuck in a time-loop thanks to the Wishing potion gone wrong, this is…my fourteenth day, give or take. I won’t go into too much detail about it, but I will say that I have finally figured everything out. I learned a few secrets along the way, which I will revel shortly, but in order to help out the people I am supposed to, to get out of this nightmare, I had to trick you all into taking Veritaserum…via Firewhisky.”

“YOU WHAT?” Ron shouted as he stood up and clenched his fists. “You slimy no good cheat!”

“I don’t want to deal with this!” Lavender exclaimed as she stood up and began to walk towards the portrait door.

“Oh, but Brown” Draco fake pouted. “You’re part of the main attraction! Besides, you can’t leave; there’s a very powerful boundary spell on the door, so no one can exit, and I’m pretty sure Granger will refuse to break the spell, seeing as this has something to do with her as well.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ron yelled as everyone in the room looked to Draco in shock and confusion. “Mione, open the door!” he demanded.

“You don’t have to do that, Hermione!” Harry chimed in, shocking everyone more. “Malfoy wouldn’t pull something like this without reason and I for one would like to know what this is all about. You told me this was to help stop the arguments from happening, Malfoy; I don’t understand.”

Hermione looked around the room as all eyes landed on her. She glanced at Draco briefly before taking a seat on the couch facing the East wall and crossed her arms.

“Looks like Granger would like to know as well” Draco smirked. “Very well, let’s discuss, shall we? Now, as you all are fully aware, I took a shot of the whiskey as well, so I can’t lie. Everything I told you was the truth. I died too many times to fail this…so, let’s begin.”

“This is fucking stupid!” Ron announced while Draco leaned on the back of the couch facing the West wall with his hands as he glared at every person in front of him.

“Gryffindors…Slytherins…Hufflepuffs…and a Ravenclaw. Four houses, all with different reasons to try and ruin Granger…So who would do it?” Draco asked while narrowing his eyes. “Well, I have deduced that Slytherins are not responsible, seeing as none of us are callous enough to ruin someone’s grade; plus, we all like Granger in our own way. The Ravenclaw is too smart to care about someone else’s potion, so that leaves the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs.”

“Now wait just a minute!” Bradley interrupted “A Puff would never do something like that!”

“You’re right, Stoll. A Puff wouldn’t” Draco answered firmly. “But Potter would never hurt his best friend and Weasley is still pinning after his ex to want to seriously hurt her either.”

“Shut your mouth, Malfoy!” Ron cut in as he tried to storm over to Draco, but Theo and Blaise immediately grasped his shoulders as they held the red-head back.

“See I touched I nerve…point proven. Moving on…I already knocked Brown and Weaslette off the list, along with Longbottom, which I will come back too, so that leaves two people.” Sadie’s eye widened in fear as she took a step back and tried to hide behind her boyfriend. “Stoll, in one of my repeat days you told me that Cornwell should have been sorted into Ravenclaw, but her kindness trait out shined her wisdom…Except her kindness only goes so far when it comes to me. I have also learned that she doesn’t like me very much and you only ignore me because of her…So, a Hufflepuff and a should-have-been Ravenclaw to choose from…But which one did it?”

“What does that have to do with Hermione’s potion getting tampered with?” Ginny asked while holding Hermione’s hands in hers for support.

“Everything, Red” Draco replied adamantly. “You see, most of this school apparently already thinks Granger and I are secretly dating and someone tried to use that to their advantage. My father apparently did something to their family, and they want revenge. Their problem however, is they can’t get to him since he’s in Azkaban; so, they turned their focus on me. They couldn’t take me out during the exam because everyone knows I’m the best in that class…I never mess up. But just making me fail wasn’t going to help them. They wanted me out of the school. Isn’t that right…Sadie?”

“Y-ye-yes…” she answered while shaking her head no.

The room erupted in gasps while Draco smirked happily and stood up straight.

“The only way she could get me expelled,” he continued, drawing everyone’s attention back to him “is if I were to fuck up someone else’s exam. Granger just so happens to sit next to me and would be the perfect target for her plan. You lot would automatically blame me, which has happened more than I like, and when no evidence is presented during the investigation, I would be the one to take the fall for it. It’s the perfect plan because if wands were checked, hers would only show Repetit Forma as the last spell used.”

“Sadie?” Hermione exclaimed as she stood up in disappointment. “How could you do something like that?”

“How could I?” Sadie began with a scowl and clenched fists. “I’ll tell you exactly how! Lucius Malfoy is the reason my little sister…IS DEAD!”

‘What? How?’

“What are you talking about, Sadie?” Harry asked as the group looked on in shock and confusion. “We were told your sister moved out of the country with your Aunt to finish her seventh year at Ilvermorny.”

“Yeah…” Pansy added. “We knew you were upset about it and we knew it was because she was scared of Draco’s father after she was captured by Greyback, but what do you mean she’s dead?”

“That’s just the story my parents spun because they didn’t want attention drawn to us; in fear of what Malfoy would do if he knew! He could have very well come after the rest of my family to cover for his father…or worse, kill us on the orders of that monster! After all, Malfoy was only spared from being sent to Azkaban on a technicality, thanks to Harry and Hermione’s testimonies!”

‘Is she for real? Does she not know me at all?’

“Fucking hell, Cornwell!” Theo claimed in disgust. “Malfoy wouldn’t come after you any more than I would!”

“Even I have to agree with Nott here” Ron said with furrowed brows. “I mean, I hate the guy, but he would never come after you; not after how his father treated him growing up. He may be a prat, but he’s not that callous…at least not anymore.”

‘Am I absolutely positive I didn’t wake up in an alternate reality? The weasel…is defending me? Even after he tried to bring me down for standing by and watching Hermione receive the torment she didn’t deserve? Well, I guess the truth serum would make him say what he really thought, but damn this is strange.’

“What happened to your sister, Sadie?” Ginny questioned softly, making the whole room grow quiet.

Sadie looked to be struggling to answer against the Veritaserum as her jaw quivered and her eyes narrowed. Her face turned red as she fought against telling the truth, but the potion was too strong, and she had no choice except to answer.

“That…bastard…threw her into a room…with Fenrir Greyback during the first half of the Battle…That…beast, tore her apart! There was nothing left for my family to bury!” she stated as a tear trickled down her cheek.

Draco’s heart dropped in sympathy while his lips parted in shock. He had no idea the girl even had a sister, let alone that his father of all people was the reason for her death.

“I-I didn’t know…” he cut in gently while taking a step forward. “I promise if I did, I would have made sure my father’s sentence was set for life instead of two years…I-I’m sorry…truly.”

“Sorry?” the Hufflepuff replied ruthlessly as she wiped at her face and turned her hatred towards the blonde. “Sorry, isn’t going to bring my sister back! Sorry, isn’t going to change the past!”

“I know it won’t” the Slytherin answered delicately. “I can’t speak for my father, Cornwell, but I can speak for myself. I honestly didn’t know you had a sister, or what my father did to your family, but I can at least offer my condolences and an apology.”

“What exactly was your plan, Cornwell?” Blaise interrupted as the rest of the group watched Draco in awe.

“I…I…”

“There’s no point in fighting it, Ms. Cornwell” Professor McGonagall claimed as she stepped out of the shadows of the Foyer and into the room, causing everyone but Draco to gasp in surprise. “I received your note from Winky, Mr. Malfoy. I am not very pleased with the way you decided to go about this, but I do appreciate you letting me know what was happening.”

‘Right on time’

“Expel him, Headmistress!” Sadie yelled as she pointed to Draco.

“Expel him? Why ever would I do that?” the professor questioned as she gazed over the spectacles resting upon her nose.

“Because…because he used Veritaserum on multiple students! And he supplied us all with alcohol on school grounds!”

“I am well aware of what Mr. Malfoy has done. However, you are all above age and only drank a minuscule amount of alcohol. The rule strictly states that no underage student is allowed to drink or become intoxicated on school grounds.”

“But he tricked us” Lavender chimed in angrily. “He spiked the bottle and giving Veritaserum to students is a one-way ticket out of here! He must have stolen the potion! There’s no other way he could have gotten his hands on it!”

“It is technically illegal, Brown…” Draco interrupted “but I looked it up. I had plenty of time this morning to read the school handbook and I had little help. Chapter 6, section F, paragraph three states-Any professor or adult over the age of twenty, found using an Unforgivable or giving Veritaserum to a student will be removed from their position and or escorted off the premises pending investigation. It says nothing about a student giving it to another student. I also already told the Headmistress that I was going to borrow the potion” he claimed as he pulled out the vile from his pocket and handed it over to the Professor. “So, let’s stop beating around the bush and get back to answering the question, Cornwell. What exactly was your plan?”

All eyes turned to the Hufflepuff as she coward backwards behind her boyfriend. Bradley however, shoved the girl off him in disgust and crossed his arms as he waited for her to explain.

“I-I…I only came back this year to exact my revenge. Lucius Malfoy was unreachable except through his son. I…I overheard a Ravenclaw couple this morning,” she claimed as she grappled against the potion. “talking…about how they heard a rumor that Malfoy and Hermione might be secretly together, but it…it wasn’t confirmed…The boy made a rude comment about how if he was single, he would…try and-and pursue Hermione before Malfoy could ever get the chance.”

“So, that was the fight I saw this morning?” Draco mumbled aloud. “He deserved to be slapped then…”

“I-I thought I could use it to my advantage” Sadie continued. “I thought Malfoy would never like her like she likes him, so I devised a plan to blame him for ruining her exam. I s-stole tests from Professor Slughorn’s office to try and see what po…potion we would be making in class. I studied it all morning until I had discovered that adding Fluxweed would make the smoke turn black.”

“How did you get the Fluxweed, Ms. Cornwell?” McGonagall questioned as she folded her hands in front of her.

“Um…Nev-ille, T-Terry, Bradley a-and I, made P-polyjuice two weeks ago for extra credit. P-Professor Slughorn didn’t know that I could hear him when he uttered the spell to unlock the vault holding the ingredients. So, after breakfast, I-I snuck into the classroom, opened the safe, and took out enough Fluxweed to ruin her potion. I didn’t want her to fail, but it was the only way I could ensure my victory, and I knew Ron would blame him. I wanted Malfoy to go down for it and get expelled! I wanted his father to know how much of a failure his son was! But then he had to go and switch the potions, ruining everything!” she yelled as she brought out her wand and pointed it at the Slytherin. “I’ll kill you!”

But Hermione slowly stepped in front of Draco, shocking him, and causing everyone else except Lavender, Bradley, Terry, and Ron, to follow suit. Bradley narrowed his eyes as he bit the inside of his lower lip before walking in front of Sadie, pulling her focus to him. He didn’t say a word as he looked at her in disappointment and shook his head before turning his gaze behind him sorrowfully to the group blocking Draco.

“I’m-I’m so sorry she did this to you…” he spoke gently. “If I would have known, I would have spoken up.”

Sadie lowered her hand as tears formed in her eyes and McGonagall took away her wand.

“I am sorry to have to say this Ms. Cornwall” the Headmistress began dolefully.

“Please…” Sadie pleaded. “I-I only did what I thought was right…for Theresa …Please, Professor…”

“I wish there was another way, dear…I really do, but you leave me no choice. The war is over and I can no longer ignore rules that are broken. You stole tests and robbed a Professors safe; you deliberately tampered with a student’s exam in hopes to cease their education and you have now threatened a student of their life…”

“Please don’t do this….”

“Sadie Alison Cornwell…In accordance with the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hufflepuffs’ Head of House, Professor Pomona Sprout, and myself, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall; on this date, Friday October 29th, 1999 03:18pm…you are hereby expelled…from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”


	12. Finish Line- Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaise and Pansy's mash-up- Thriller/Heads will Roll- Glee cast version. I always envisioned the voices singing were those two so if you want to know what they sound like listen to it before, during, after…doesn't matter. Or completely ignore it, up to you. But it is the song that basically gave me the idea for this story.
> 
> Helium- by Sia- I know this song is modern and not from the time period this story is set in but this is fanfiction and I will do what I want! Plus it melts my heart when I hear it lol.

Chapter 12- Finish Line- Part 2

Friday October 29th, 1999 03:18pm

The eighth years standing in the Common Room broke out in whispers and murmurs as they watched the Headmistress begin to escort Sadie out of the room.

"Hold on a second, Professor" Draco stated making everyone grow instantly quiet. "I uh…I think you're going to want to witness what happens next."

McGonagall raised a brow in confusion, but turned around and cast a binding charm on Sadie so she couldn't run away from her, before waving a hand for Draco to continue.

"Weasley," the Slytherin began while bringing a finger to his chin and pacing the length of the couch in front of him. "Can you tell us why you have a book 'How to Woo your Witch'?"

"Because I-I think Lavender is going to break-up with me!" Ron answered reluctantly as he flicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek and bowed his head dejectedly.

"What does that have anything to do with anything?" Lavender asked with reddened cheeks.

"I'm getting there, Brown…Why do you feel she is going to break up with you, Weasley?" he asked while he stopped pacing and crossed his arms.

"B-because she's distant…and I have no money to take her out or buy her nice things-STOP IT!" the red-head screamed as his fists tightened at his sides. "This is embarrassing! Yeah, I'm broke, so fucking what? Just because you have money and can throw it around doesn't mean you should rub it in my face!"

"I'm not rubbing anything in your face!" the blonde retorted. "I'm trying to help you!"

"Help me? Why the fuck would you want to help me? You know what, it doesn't matter! I don't want your damn help!" the red-head yelled in frustration, clearly over the discontent the Slytherin was making him feel.

"Alright, Mr. Weasley, that's enough of the cursing" McGonagall cut in impatiently.

"Tell you what, Weasley…I'll give you," Draco pulled out his money pouch and began counting what he had on his person "three hundred aaannnd…thirty-two galleons, if it means you can finally treat a girl to a nice dinner and I don't have to hear another word about how broke you are. Besides, after everything me and my family have put you and yours through…it's the least I can do."

"That's…That's like a thousand pounds, Draco!" Theo exclaimed in shock after calculating galleons to muggle money in his head.

"How the heck do you know that?" Neville inquired curiously.

"He likes muggle things" Draco answered before turning his attention back to the male red-head.

"Blimey Malfoy, you just carry that much around with you…daily?" Ron questioned in surprise.

'Did he already forget that I'm rich?'

"Depends on the day…Do you want it or not?" he asked, dropping his shoulders; fed up with the delay the weasel was creating for him.

"Well if you were just going to hand me money, then we wouldn't have had to have that whole argument! You should have just started with that!"

'Seriously?'

"Uhhhh, okay…" the Slytherin stated in confusion. "Here…" Draco threw Ron the pouch of gold and almost instantly a white light began to surround the Gryffindor. "So now that that is dealt with, let's move on to something harder to swallow. "Boot…" the Ravenclaw's head snapped up as he stood hidden away from the crowd, trying to mind his own business. "Are you a virgin?"

"What?" he asked with a raised brow. "No, of course not."

"Good to know…So, would you mind letting the group know whose knickers lay in your room at this very moment?" he requested with a tight-lipped smile.

"L…L-a…" the Ravenclaw struggled against the Veritaserum; his forehead began to sweat as he fought hard to lie.

'Just say her name…I guarantee you won't be so forthcoming to defend her honor later.'

"Go on, mate…you can tell us" Draco smirked as Ron eyed the brunette curiously.

"La-Lav…Lavender Browns!" he expelled unwillingly with a heavy breath.

"WHAT?" Ron shouted as a vein throbbed in his neck and his face flushed "WHY THE HELL ARE HER KNICKERS IN YOUR ROOM?" he screamed in outrage.

"Because I'm sleeping with her, you daft sleeze! I've been sleeping with her since summer!"

"I beg your pardon!" Hermione chimed in while looking to Lavender in anger. "You…You cheated on Ron? How could you do that to him? He trusted you!"

"Oh, shut your damn mouth, Hermione!" Lavender snapped, causing Draco to jut his chin in animosity. "Godric, your voice is so fucking annoying! You don't know a thing about my relationship, so stay the hell out of it!"

"First off," the blonde cut in enraged "her voice is not annoying. If anything, your voice is like nails on a chalkboard and I honestly want to throw a book at your face just to shut you up! Also, I think you mean relationships…" Draco added with a raised finger as the Gryffindor girl's face fell and she looked as though she would cry. "Or did you forget that you have a picture of me hidden in a secret compartment in your pillow that you make out with in hopes that one day I'll want to fuck you…Which, and I can't stress this enough, will NEVER happen. Oh, and don't try to find a way to get out of admitting it. I can have Winky or even the Headmistress double check for me; but again, truth serum so…" he shrugged with a sneer.

"You-you have a picture of Malfoy in your room?" Terry asked with a creased brow and a curled lip.

"And you make out with it?" Theo added with a crinkle of his nose. Completely unaware that he was the one who provided that specific information for Draco three days ago.

"Don't forget the box of sex toys under her bed as well" Draco admitted vindictively with a twisted smile as he crossed his arms in contempt.

"You never actually loved me…did you?" Terry questioned with a fixed gaze.

Lavender's jaw tightened as she resisted answering, making Terry scoff and shake his head in disbelief.

"N…No!"

"S-so, this whole time you were with me, told me that you only wanted me, and that Ron was just a-a thorn in your side…you wanted Malfoy too? You're just a two-timing little slag! I thought you were only dating the weasel to get back at Hermione for embarrassing you sixth-year!"

"Oh, shut…up!" Lavender expelled with a roll of her eyes as each person's words stung more and more.

"You were only dating me…as revenge?" Ron asked sadly while blinking back tears.

"Yes, I was!" she replied in disgust. "Oh, you thought I actually wanted to be with you again after you treated me like I was a nuisance nearly all of sixth year?" she laughed. "Please" she scoffed while crossing her arms. "Why do you think I never wanted to sleep with you? YOU disgust me! I wanted Draco, but since he was off limits until he could pull himself out of his depressed state, I had to get my jolly's elsewhere! However, when I realized you still had feelings for Hermione, I knew humiliating her by the way of dating you, wouldn't work!"

"Merlin's beard, Brown" Pansy claimed with pursed lips. "You're so delusional!"

"No, I was being practical, you condescending little bitch, and using what I had available…like that rumor I conjured up!" she admitted, no longer seeming to care that Professor McGonagall stood by with her shoulders held back and her hand firmly placed in front of her, ready to stop the argument dead in its tracks.

"What rumor?" Neville questioned.

"The one about Draco and Hermione secretly dating…" she admitted while looking at her nails with a smug smile resting on her lips. "I knew she liked him and if he ever found out…he would turn her down instantly and embarrass her. But then he had to go and ruin another person's perfect plan by being nice to her!"

"Yeah, because she was legitimately trying to help me!" Draco retorted incredulity.

"SHE WAS TRYING TO STEAL YOU FROM ME!" Lavender screamed as she stomped her foot in anger.

"I was never yours to steal and I never will be! Even before all this, I never liked you nor would I ever!" he yelled while shaking his head, repulsed at the idea of the girl ever thinking he could want her. "And after all this…I don't see any guy ever wanting your disgusting arse!"

"Alright, Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall interrupted before things got out of control. "If there is a point to me being present for all this, then please, hurry it along. I am a very busy woman and I really would rather not get in the middle of this. However, if this does not settle and quickly, I will have no choice but to intervene, and give everyone here detention for the vulgar language used today."

"Yes, Professor…" he answered while turning his gaze back to the group. "I'll make this quick. I don't want to look at this ugly quim any longer than I have to!"

"Mr. Malfoy…" the Headmistress stated in disappointment. "What did I just say?"

"Sorry…Anyway, Theo…do you remember when I told you not to give Longbottom any of the alcohol?"

"Yeeeah…Ehem, yeah uh, y-you said you would talk to him" Theo answered as his confused fixed eyes removed themselves from McGonagall and onto Draco.

'This better fucking work…'

"And I did, but the real reason I didn't want him to have any, is because he unwillingly made an Unbreakable Vow."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" McGonagall asked with a hand to her chest and the room filled with sharply drawn breaths.

"Lavender Brown…is a blackmailer" he stated firmly while shooting a hateful glare at Lavender. "And Longbottom is not the only person she tried to force into keeping her little secret either. She planned to blackmail Theo because he caught her admitting that she was having an affair with Terry Boot, essentially ruining her plan. But Theo is not an easy person to pressure into making the Vow, are you mate?" he questioned without wavering his sight once from the Gryffindor before of him.

"N-No" the brunette Slytherin replied, still stunned from the events happening around him.

"So, Brown resorted to other means" the Prince continued. "Telling him that she would create a story that my best friend tried to force himself on her!"

"What?" Harry inquired as the room erupted in indistinct chatter.

"Draco…What the hell?" Theo asked but Draco just ignored him.

"But Longbottom was an easy target. He, unlike Theo, could not handle the accusation she was going place on him and caved; making the Vow to keep her secret. However, you made a slight error, Brown. You told him he couldn't tell anyone who has any sort of care for Weasley; and no offense Weasley, but I really didn't care about you at the time, though I will admit I do sort of feel bad for things turning out the way they are for you."

"Where did this Oath take place, Lavender" Hermione asked; fully understanding where Draco was going with his plan.

"Th-The Girls Lavatory…Where Moaning Myrtle resides…"

"Thus, breaking one of the most important rules on school grounds…" McGonagall stated with a shake of her head. "I can't do this again; not right now. Ms. Brown, you will accompany Ms. Cornwell and myself, to my office, I will deal with this all later. Until then, I will have Professor Slughorn give Winky an antidote for the Veritaserum to bring up to you all."

"Wait!" Hermione exclaimed after thinking about something for a moment, making Draco tilt his head in confusion. "Who cast the spell?"

"What do you mean, Mione?" Ginny questioned while taking a step forward.

"Who cast the spell?" she repeated. "The Unbreakable Vow has to be done with three people…So, who was the Bonding Agent?"

The group of students, including the Headmistress, looked around the room curiously as they tried to figure out who was responsible.

"It was me…" Terry admitted willingly, forcing everyone in the room to look at him as he lowered his hand from his lips and raised his eyes in sadness. "I was the Binder. And if I would have known what La-Brown, was capable of, I wouldn't have done it…I take full responsibility for my actions, Professor" the Ravenclaw claimed as he walked over to the Headmistress and turned around with a sullen face. "The truth is revealed so the oath is now null and void…I am so sorry for what we did to you, Neville…I am so sorry."

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath before relaxing her shoulders and turned to the three students behind her.

"I am so disappointed in the three of you…I expected better from you. You survived a war for Godric's sake…I just-I have no words. You have failed me, you have failed this school, and more importantly…you have failed yourselves."

She shook her head once more before escorting them out of the room. As soon as the portrait door clicked closed, the remaining students began to all speak incomprehensibly at once, and bombard Draco while pushing Hermione away from him like they were reporters trying to catch a break on a huge story. The Slytherin Prince looked over at the glowing perplexed bookworm, knowing he had finally completed helping her friends, while ignoring the questions he couldn't understand. He then glanced back to the group to see Neville and Ron both surrounded by another faint white light.

"Enough!" he yelled, startling the group of students into backing up and quieting down as the glows dissipated and he could finally collect his thoughts. "I-I promise to answer your questions later…but right now, there is something much more imperative that I have to do first…Pansy…" the raven-haired girl snapped her eyes to Draco in confusion. "You have our costumes for the Ball, correct?"

"Um…yeah…Is this really what you wan-"

"What did you pick out for me?" he quickly interrupted.

"Uh, well I wanted it to be a surprise, but…Voodoo Priests for the guys and Priestess for me…Why?"

"I'm going to need you to make a few alterations, if you don't mind?"

"Draco, if it means you'll actually go to this thing, especially after everything that just happened…I'll change your costume to whatever your little heart desires."

"Can you make me a pirate?" he smiled with a slight turn of his head. "Like one of those real looking ones from those muggle movies you made me watch once?"

"Yeaahhh, but I have to ask…Why a pirate?"

"Well…there's-there's this girl that I really like going as one and..." Draco turned his eyes to Hermione who held her breath as the Slytherin smiled warmly "I-I was wondering if maybe she would like to uh…be my date?"

Theo grinned from ear to ear as he sat on the couch and sipped a soda loudly through a straw making everyone raise a brow at him. Draco tilted his head in confusion as he wondered where his friend even got the drink, before shaking the thought from his mind, and turned his focus back to Hermione. "So, uh…whadda say, Hermione?" he continued while rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me?"

"I um…I-"

"NO!" Ron shouted just as Hermione was about to give her answer.

'You have GOT to be fucking kidding me!' Draco thought as he threw his head back in annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Pansy claimed while placing her hands on her hips and furrowed her brows "who the fuck gave you the right to speak for Granger?"

"Since she is about to make the stupidest decision of her life!" Ron growled with an outstretched hand as he took a few steps forward.

'Her being friends with you is stupid enough, Weasley, but you don't see us complaining about it!'

"Ron," Harry cut in "Mione can speak for herself. She's not your girlfriend anymore, and even if she was, you can't tell her what she can and can't do."

'I really need to give Potter a gift for being the smart one of the two dimwits!'

"The hell I can't!" Ron snapped. "I forbid it!"

"Yo-you forbid it?" Hermione challenged as she slowly took a step forward and placed herself in front of Ron.

'Uh-oh…'

"Ooooh, you're in trouble now, Weasley!" Theo expressed as he threw a kernel of popcorn into his mouth and observed the pair like he was watching a movie.

'Where the hell is he getting this stuff from?'

"Shut-it you git!" Ron yelled at brunette Slytherin forcing a frown to appear on Theo's lips.

'Oh, mate…Tell him what to do again, I will gladly take that money back and flaunt it in your dirty little face!'

"How dare you!" Hermione continued as the people around her took a step back and Ron's face controted in fear. "Don't tell him to shut-it when you're the one trying to act like an alpha dog!" 'That's my girl!' "Breaking News" she claimed sarcastically while throwing her hands in the air "Ronald Weasley is not in charge of ANYONE!" she stated angrily while poking a finger into Ron's chest. "You don't own me and you sure as hell don't control me! Just because you're still bitter that I broke up with you, and the girl you tried to replace me with turned out to be a lying cheat, does not give you authority to try and tell me what to do!"

'Merlin, she's hot when she pissed'

"Ooooo" Theo spoke from the couch as he watched Hermione excitedly. "Get 'em girl!"

"I'll be the one to decide if I want to go to the dance with someone who actually wants to go with me and not as a last resort like you tried to do fourth year! I'll choose for my-damn-self and I am saying yes!"

'Wait really? I didn't actually think that would work. I thought I would have had to do at least a little more convincing to get her to agree…I guess I should thank the weasel for being so stupid and helping me out.'

"Seriously?" the red-head asked in shock as he stepped back, putting a gap between the two friends.

"Yes, seriously!" Ginny cut in angrily. "Merlin's beard, Ronald, she likes him and he…surprisingly came out of nowhere with admitting he likes her too…but that's not the point! The point is, get over yourself! Do not make me floo mum and tell her that you're acting like a giant prat again to Hermione!"

'Do it! I wanna see that scolding!'

"I'm not being a prat, Gin!" the Gryffindor defended sharply. "I'm trying to help her not make a horrible decision! It's obvious Malfoy is out to get me! First Lavender and-and now Hermione! He's trying to take everything from me!"

"Help her?" Blaise stated with a raised brow. "How is telling her what she can and can't do helping her? And as I recall, Draco gave you a good amount of money and not only helped reveal the indecent affairs of your ex-girlfriend, but bluntly stated that he has never nor would ever, want Brown. The least you could do is cut the guy some slack and see that he's changed. He's not out to get you."

"I agree" Harry added. "He didn't know about Lavender's feelings for him or about Hermione's."

"Actually Potter…" Draco stated while raising a finger nervously. "I did know about Hermione's feelings for me…Well-I mean it took me until the third day, after you told me, and it took a little longer after that for me to admit to myself that I could actually like her back…"

"So, you do like her? Like legit like her?" Ron questioned with a raised brow and tilted head. "Your little confession isn't some trick that you believe to be true to get around the serum? You're not saying this just to mess with her or-or me?"

"Weasley…I already told Potter this once and I will gladly say it again so everyone knows…I'm not messing with her. I'm not asking her to the dance to trick her. I-I do actually llllo-love her."

'Oh, shite!'

Theo dropped the soda in his hand causing the liquid to spill all over the carpet as everyone's jaws fell in shock. No one said a word as the Slytherin Prince's cheeks reddened in humiliation and he stood horrified and frozen as his peers' eyes widened in disbelief.

"I-I didn't…I meant to say that…Fuck!" he stammered while trying to fight against the Veritaserum still in his system.

"You-You love her?" Bradley asked, breaking the awkward silence filling the room.

'Fuck, I forgot he was still here! He's so quiet! Why is he so quiet? And now I have to fucking answer him!'

"N….NNN-Yes-Gods dammit!" Draco yelled while throwing his hands on top of his head and turned around to face away from the crowd of people staring at him in awe.

A loud pop suddenly emitted in the room causing the students to jump is surprise.

"Hello Misters and Misses..." Winky softly smiled at the frightened eighth-years.

"Merlin, Winky" Harry expressed while releasing the breath he had been holding and lowered his hand from his chest. "You scared the crap out of us."

"Winky is sorry, sir. Winky was only doing whats the Headmistress asked of her, she was" the house elf explained as she bowed her head wistfully.

"It's okay, Winky" Harry said softly as he walked over to the small creature. "Is that the antidote?" he questioned as he lowered himself to her level and smiled.

"Yes, sir! I's was told to brings it here as fast as I's could, sir!" the elf perked up while quickly pulling out the vile from her raggedy pocket and handed it over to the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Thank you, Winky" Harry grinned before standing up and made his way over to the Firewhisky resting on the coffee table.

The raven-haired Gryffindor pulled out his wand before removing the stopper off the top of the bottle. Performing a separating charm, he vanished all traces of Veritaserum from the alcohol before pouring in the antidote. As Winky left the room with another loud pop, he then proceeded to pour nine shots of Firewhisky before handing them out to the group; skipping Ginny due to knowing her condition.

"I feel we all could use a shot right about now" he chuckled anxiously as he finished handing out the glasses. Draco took his glass, but avoided eye contact with anyone before downing the drink, and turning away. "So…" Harry continued as he set his empty shot glass down on the table, placed his hands in his pockets, and glanced around the room. "Who's hungry?"

"Me!" Theo chirped while raising his hand in the air.

"Great! I have some snacks in my room. Why don't we all uh, head up there and talk costumes?" he suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Blaise concurred as he and Pansy began to make their way to the stairs.

Theo quickly stood up and raced up the stairwell as Bradley chortled and shook his head at the Slytherin's joy. The rest of the group followed swiftly, knowing what Harry was trying to do, while Hermione's eyes stayed fixed on Draco. However, Ron didn't seem to care that his best friend was trying to give the two some privacy and stayed where he was with a sullen look planted on his features.

"You coming, Ron…" Neville said softly as he stepped off the bottom stair and walked over to the red-head.

"This isn't right…" Ron stated sadly while glancing back and forth between Hermione and Draco. "He treated her like-like shite…for years…This-this isn't right."

"He's paid for his mistake, Ron…" Neville answered gently while laying a hand on his shoulder and placing himself in front of his friend. "And she chose him…" Draco turned around and dejectedly looked at the two men before glancing to Hermione watching the Gryffindors talk. "There isn't anything anyone can do, but accept it" Neville continued. "If you can't at least try and understand her reasons for choosing Malfoy, then you're going to lose her in your life…for good. None of us want that. She obviously can see something in him that we all overlooked, but she's not stupid, mate…You're going to have to just…trust her. She has never steered us wrong before."

"No one is perfect…" the red-head claimed while blinking back tears.

"I think that is exactly why you need to give the guy who just helped you, in more ways than one, a second chance…He's not perfect, none of us are, but acceptance is key, Ron. You keep carrying around this hate for someone who no longer exists…it's going to eat you alive. We love you, she loves you…but we can only tolerate so much hate in our lives. Godric, we just fought a war based on it, Ron. We all can see past our differences and we all have moved on…Why can't you?"

"Weasley" Draco said carefully. "I-I really am sorry for-for what I did to you growing up. I was a childish brat brainwashed into thinking…well you know. Still, it's no excuse and…I'm sorry."

"How can I know you're even telling the truth anymore?" Ron asked with a quivering lip.

"Because the Veritaserum is still in his system…" Hermione stated tenderly as she looked at Draco fondly while still holding her full shot glass. "He took both mine and Ginny's shot, along with his own before everything happened. He has three doses of the serum running through his veins. One dose of the antidote won't counteract the effects right away…" she looked down at the glass in her hand before raising her eyes and handed Draco the drink. "It will still take a while before it has any major impact, but at least it will help calm things slightly."

"Uh, ehem, um…thanks" the blonde replied with a faint smile as he slowly reached out and took the glass; brushing the tips of his fingers against her hand.

As Draco took the shot Hermione gave him, the bookworm turned her attention to Ron still staring in awe at the Slytherin standing before him.

"Ron…" she began warmly, making the red-headed wizard shift his solemn focus to her "I-I will always love you…but we were never right together; you know this. We are so much better at being friends and I…I really don't want to lose you in my life. You mean so much to me. And-and I'm sorry for what Lavender did to you. I'm sorry for what I did to you" she admitted softly while touching her chest with her hands. "The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you and I know that everything that happened today was-well it was a lot, but…I really like Draco. I can't explain it in a way that you'll understand but please…please Ron, I need you to realize that I know what I'm doing. I need you to be in my corner."

"I am in your corner, Mione…I will always have your back" Ron dolefully expressed. "It's…It's just going to take some time for me to accept everything. I have had so much happen to me today and I-I need a moment, alright?"

"Take all the time you need…"

Ron folded in his lips as he gazed at his best friend before looking to Draco somberly. Lowering his head in defeat, the wizard sighed softly, walked across the room, and out the portrait door as Hermione, Draco, and Neville looked at the empty foyer sorrowfully.

"Ehem…" Neville cleared his throat into his hand before glancing up at Hermione. "I uh-I guess I should head upstairs…I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Thank you, Neville" the Golden Girl replied with a soft smile.

As Neville walked upstairs and into Harry's room, Draco put his hands in his pockets as both he and Hermione stood in awkward silence staring at the ground.

"So…" she began, looking up at him and exhaling slowly.

"So…" he replied nervously as he reached up a hand and rubbed the back of his neck.

'Don't say anything stupid, Draco. Just let her do all the talking…'

"Thank…Thank you for helping Ron and well, everything you did today. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem. I had a lot of time to figure everything out so…"

"Are you sure about this?" she asked bluntly while playing with the tips of her fingers. "I mean…taking me to the Ball? Are you sure you want to go with me?"

Draco slowly raised his eyes to the bookworm before running his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I'm sure…I've-I've never been more sure of anything in my life" he replied anxiously.

"You-you don't have to go as a pirate…if you don't want to."

"I want to…"

The awkward silence once again filled the room as Draco's eyes darted around the open area, avoiding her soft brown gaze, and Hermione quietly played with a strand of her hair.

"I guess I should go see how Ginny is doing…" she uttered as she ineptly turned around and ran into the couch behind her. "I'm okay!" she stated while holding up a hand as Draco took a step forward to check on her.

Hermione moved away from the couch and began to walk towards the stairs when Draco sucked in a breath as he tried to think of something to keep her in the room just a little while longer. He wasn't quite ready yet to talk about his little confession, but he still wanted to still speak with the girl he had fallen hard for.

"Hey uh…I" he began, making the Gryffindor stop at the bottom step and turn to face him. "I um…I wanted to thank you actually."

"Me? For what? I didn't really do anything" she replied with a raised brow.

"For defending Theo"

"Oh," she exhaled with a smile. "It's no problem at all. Ron was being a bit rude to him" she shrugged "and Nott seems like a good guy…he means well. He sort of has that demeanor to him that makes you want to hug him and tell him everything is going to be okay" she chuckled.

"He does, doesn't he?" Draco smiled as Hermione bowed her head to continue up the stairs. "Hey wait…Can I ask a favor from you?" he smirked making Hermione confusingly smile back.

"I guess so…" she answered tilting her head in interest.

"So, I know it sounds strange that I was…am…stuck in a time-loop, but-"

"Draco, I have seen things over the past eight years I never thought possible. Nothing really surprises me anymore."

"Yeah, I know…you said that the last time after telling me about how you went into the past to help save Buckbeak and Potter's Godfather, no thanks to me...Anyway," he continued when Hermione gave him a curious look "you told me that same day to remind you of something if my day reset again…I was wondering if maybe it was still possible for you to do?"

"It really depends on what it is you need me to do" she claimed while crossing her arms in attentiveness.

"Well…do you have a minute?" he asked with a half-smile.

"What are you up to, Draco Malfoy?" she questioned with a perplexed grin.

"Do you trust me?" he firmly asked while holding out a hand for her to take and winking quickly.

Hermione eyed the Slytherin Prince in interest before biting her lower lips in curiosity forcing Draco to look to the ground to catch his breath.

"I really need you to stop biting your lip…please?"

Hermione smirked proudly before taking the blondes hand in hers and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I trust you…but so long as you wink at me…I'll keep biting my lip" she grinned making Draco's eyes widen in shock as she pulled back.

07:25pm

Adjusting the lapel on his coat, Draco looked at himself in the mirror as Theo placed the wide and worn black hat on top of the Prince's head. Sporting knee-length black boots and dark pants topped with a long coat of red silk, Draco resembled a richer version of the notorious pirate known as Blackbeard. He aligned a sling over his shoulder which was accompanied with a three brace of pistols hanging in holsters like bandoliers; he then gripped the faux sword on his belt and grinned in satisfaction.

"Pans really out did herself on this outfit" he smiled while turning his head side to side to check out the pirate hat resting upon of his head.

"For a last-minute costume change, I'd say so" Theo stated as he brushed the wrinkles from Draco's shoulders with his fingerless leather gloved hands.

Theo wore a maroon button-down shirt under a long quarter-sleeve black coat; complete with a short top-hat containing small tannish skulls, and multi-colored feathers set at the base of the rim. His face was painted white and black to look like a skeleton, giving his Haunted Voodoo Priest outfit the eerie essence Pansy strived for. The brunette Slytherin turned around and picked up his cane with a skull handle, as he placed a few thick beaded necklaces around his neck. The calf-length boots remained untied for effect, making Draco fight with everything he had to not tie the laces so his friend wouldn't fall down the stairs.

"Can you at least semi tie your shoes so you don't trip over them?" Draco pleaded as he eyed his friend through the mirror in front of him.

"No! It's supposed to look emo…ish. It's cool."

"Cool? It's a safety hazard"

"Just because you died multiple times by falling over doesn't mean I will. Besides, I haven't tripped yet in your loop so I think I'm good" he smirked. "Are you ready yet or do you plan to just stare at yourself the rest of the night?"

"I-I think I'm ready…" Draco muttered as his face creased with worry.

"This is the first time you made it to the Ball…isn't it?" Draco nodded his head as he turned and sat down in the chair next to him. "You're scared something is going to knock you out?"

"Yeah…And I know what you're gonna say, mate. I just feel like I'm missing something and this was all for not. I have maybe one more day left before I permanently die and I…I don't want to mess this up."

"You won't mess it up. You have a whole group of us willing to protect you and keep an eye out for any dangers. You're going to be fine. You have two more things on your list to cross off, you're not forgetting anything."

"I don't know Theo…I'm terrified something is going to go wrong."

"What is it that I say, Draco?" the brunette asked as he leaned his cane off to the right and rested a closed fist on his hip.

"What?"

"What is it that I always keep telling you?" he repeated as he tilted his head forward.

"Uh…Be afraid-"

"And then do it anyway" he finished while throwing the cane in the air to his left hand. "Now let's go! I want to get my dance on!" he stated as he marched to the door and opened it. "Blaise and Pansy had to leave early to set up for their act so for now it's just me.

Draco reluctantly stood up and took a deep break before following his friend out of the room. He and Theo made their way to the main area of the Common room with Neville, Harry, and Bradley as they waited for the girls to emerge from Hermione's room.

"Where's Ron?" Neville asked as he adjusted his oversized body costume.

"He didn't feel up for going" Harry answered as he tilted his head to the side and eyed Neville in amazement. "Neville…Why-why are you dressed like a large carrot again?" he asked while reaching out and lifting the greens dangling from the top of the Herbology students head. "Won't it be hard to dance in that thing?"

"Not really, no" the shy boy replied with a smile. "Luna and I have been perfecting our dancing in our costumes for a few weeks now. It's gotten easier to move in it."

"Let me guess," Theo chimed in "she's a carrot too?"

"No" Neville chortled with a snort. "She's a radish, of course."

"Of course..." the brunette Slytherin replied with narrowed eyes. "Anyway uh…cool costume, Potter! Wait…please tell me Weaslette is a girl Zombie? Because I don't really know what else would go with that."

"She's a girl zombie, Nott" Harry chuckled.

"Okay cool. Annndd…wait don't tell me" Theo stated with a raised hand as he looked at Bradley dressed in a business formal suite. The white button down was ripped open to show a blue undershirt with a red 's' as his hair was slicked back with grease and he worse fake black rimmed glasses. "Ummmm…Bat-no, that's the black costume…um, Suupperman? Yes, I'm going with Superman!"

"Spot on, Nott!" the Hufflepuff claimed, clearly impressed. "But can you tell me Superman's alter ego?"

"Oh, I know this!" the Slytherin proclaimed in excitement. "Um it's uh, oh, Clark Kent!"

"Impressive!" Bradley declared while high-fiving Theo. "Though, Sadie was supposed to be Lois Lane…"

"I have no idea what is going on" Draco chimed in confused, but also to distract Bradley away from his ex-girlfriend.

"Don't worry, Malfoy" Harry laughed. "It's a muggle thing. Mione might be able to explain it better, but it's sort of a nerdy topic so she might not."

"I'll explain it all to you later, mate" Theo claimed as he gently slapped Draco on the back of the arm.

"Explain what?" Luna asked pleasantly from the top of the stairs.

All eyes moved to the girls on the balcony, but Draco could only stare in awe at Hermione. He had seen her costume twice before but for some odd reason, she seemed more beautiful this time around. Holding his breath as she descended the stairs with Ginny and Luna, his heart began to race and his palms began to sweat.

Hermione approached Draco with a warm smile before looking his costume over.

"You look dapper" she spoke warmly.

"You-you look dapper-I mean hot-No- I mean nice…You look nice" he stuttered as everyone looked at him while trying not to laugh.

'You are a fucking moron, Draco!'

"Thanks" she replied sweetly. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Ye-yeah"

"Okay! Oh, before I forget" she exclaimed with a broad smile before lifting her hat and pulling out a folded cloak. "Nott-I mean Theo…Draco reminded me that there was something you have always wanted to touch" she held out the Invisibility Cloak as Theo stared with a slack-jaw.

"You can hold on to it tonight and…since I'm in a generous mood," Harry added "I will let you borrow it tomorrow, so long as you promise not to spill anything on it…or lose it…or let anyone else use it."

"Really? Yo-you mean it?" the Slytherin questioned in astonishment as he slowly took the Cloak from Hermione's hands. He glanced down at the fabric before looking up to Draco with watery eyes. "You really remembered to ask to let me touch it? Even after all that shite from earlier?" he spoke soft and low. While they'd readied for the dance, Draco had filled him in on almost everything that had happened over the last few days, so he wouldn't feel out of the loop…no pun intended.

"Of course, I remembered, mate!" Draco replied while patting his friend on the back. "I would never forget about you."

A tear began to trickle down Theo's cheek, making the paint on his face run as he looked at the cloak in his hands.

"Theo," Hermione began as she took a step forward and placed a hand on the brunette Slytherin's shoulder "are you alright?" she asked before looking to Draco with a raised brow. "I didn't think this would make him cry…"

"He cries when he's extremely happy and can't use his words" Draco shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."

"Oh…Well, let's not ruin your makeup, alright?" she smiled gently as she pulled out her wand from inside her boot and touched up Theo's face. "There…that's better" she finished.

"Thank you…" Theo muttered with a half-smile to Hermione before looking to Harry, who then nodded. "This really means a lot to me. No one besides Draco has…has ever let me borrow anything before."

"Tell you what, Nott," Harry said while wrapping an arm around Theo's shoulders "if you bring back the Cloak in pristine condition…I'll let you borrow it or anything else of mine in the future."

"Yeah?" he asked innocently.

"Yeah…" the raven-haired boy replied warmly.

"And you can always borrow anything of mine if you want" Hermione added. "All you need to do is ask."

"Thanks guys…"

"You're welcome, Theo" the brunette witch said tenderly.

"Can we get going before we miss Zabini and Parkinson's big number?" Neville asked anxiously. "I-I don't mean to interrupt this great moment; I just sort of really wanted to see how all their practice looks on the big stage."

"Sure, Neville" Harry chuckled as Theo securely tucked the Cloak in the inside pocket of his jacket. "I'm curious to see it as well."

Draco held out his arm so Hermione could slip her hand through and once she did, they began to walk with the rest of the group down to the Great Hall. The blonde Slytherin could hear the song 'Monster Mash' playing through the corridors as they got closer and closer to the Halloween Ball.

Suddenly the music stopped and the faint voice of Professor McGonagall could be heard introducing the Slytherin couple to the stage. Before he knew it, Hermione began to drag him down the hall in excitement, as Neville and Luna raced awkwardly in their oversized costumes, towards the doors.

"Off with your head! Dance, dance, dance, till you're dead!"

As the grand entryway opened up, the sound of Pansy singing caused the room full of students to erupt in cheers. Once Blaise took the mic however, everyone began to jump and dance as Draco stood in the entrance with his new found friends in absolute awe.

'Damn their good!'

"HE SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!" Hermione shouted over the loud music.

"WHO?" Draco asked, hardly able to hear her over the concert happening at the front of the room.

But apparently Hermione didn't hear him as she, along with the rest of their gang, split up and made their way to the dance floor and the food stations. The Slytherin Prince eyed the Grand Hall in gratitude as he had never made it this far before and felt thankful that nothing had messed it up for him.

The room was decorated with floating candles twinkling high above them, accompanied by bats charmed to fly around the vaulted ceiling. Humongous carved Jack-o-Lanterns sat on the overflowing tables that were once the house tables, filled with treats, sweets, food, and red punch. The stage was equipped with a magical unnamed band playing in the background for Blaise and Pansy as the two dressed in Voodoo outfits, similar to Theo's but in purple and green, sang and danced their hearts out.

"Cause this is Thriller! Thrill the night!"

By the time the song reached the bridge part, a tall man dressed as Frankenstein's monster, appeared on stage and took over the mic.

"Darkness falls across the land…The midnight hour is close at hand…"

"Is that…" Theo began as he scrunched his eyes at the stage. "Holy shite…it's Goyle!"

"No way!" Draco exclaimed as he took a closer look. "Well I'll be damned."

"Do you want some punch?" Hermione yelled over the music.

"What?" the blonde questioned as he leaned forward to hear her better.

"I SAID…DO YOU-" The song suddenly finished causing Hermione to laugh as she lowered her voice slightly. "I asked if you want some punch."

"Oh," he chuckled. "No, I'm good for now. Do you want some? I can grab it if you want to keep dancing."

"I put a spell on you…" the band that took over the stage began "and now your mine!"

"Would you mind?" she asked with a wince while biting her lower lip. "I love this song." Draco scoffed with a smile as he crossed his arms and raised a brow while trying his hardest to keep the wood in his pants from stiffening. "Right…Sorry."

"No problem" he claimed with a quick wink while turning around and walking towards the buffet table before Hermione had a chance to retaliate.

After an hour of dancing and partying, the band started playing 'Helium' as Draco spoke with Neville and Harry near the punch bowl.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave" Harry stated with a nod of his head before heading over to Ginny, who was waiting for him on the dance floor.

"I should go see what Luna's doing" Neville claimed as he looked around for a large radish.

"Didn't you guys break up?" Draco inquired with a raised brow.

"Yeah, but we are still really good friends…by the way…I think Mione is waiting for you" the Gryffindor declared with a nudge of his arm.

Draco looked up to Hermione standing in the middle of the floor, glancing around the room for someone to ask her to dance. Draco set his drink down and removed the pistol belt from his chest before slowly walking over to the Gryffindor Princess facing away from him. He released a quick breath as he tried to summon all the courage he could before speaking.

"Mind if I have this dance?" he asked with an outstretched hand.

Hermione turned around and smiled widely before slowly glancing down and took his hand. He brought her close to his body as he slipped an arm around her waist and lifted her right hand up. Taking a step back, Hermione followed his lead as he began to softly waltz her around the small area.

The people in the room began to slowly disappear as the pair stared deeply into each other's eyes…like they were the only ones in the room. Every thought escaped them as the lyrics washed over the couple. Before they knew it, they were dancing around the tiled floor as the students created a circle around them. Their peers watched tenderly as Draco spun Hermione under his hand before twirling her back into his waiting arms. Both of their hats fell off during the slow dance, but neither seemed to care; their focus staying solely on each other as they let the words of the song…fill their hearts.

As the melody began to end, Draco held Hermione tightly in a slight dip as their breaths caught. Her eyes casually left his as they flickered to his lips; however, he was too captured in a trance, essentially lost in the moment, to realize a gentle glow surrounded her…because he had finally taken her to the dance.

Brown met grey, when Hermione's gaze slowly drifted back to his. Tentatively, she raised her hand and cupped his jaw with the palm of her hand…gently pulling him closer to her. Draco's heart pounded in his chest as he threaded his fingers into her hair and leaned forward, closing the short distance between them. The Slytherin Prince's lips barely brushed the Gryffindor Princess's when a loud whoop echoed through the room; bringing the pair down from the heavenly dream they found themselves in.

Ginny roughly smacked Harry in the arm with the back of her hand in frustration while Draco and Hermione noticed everyone looking fondly at them. Quickly separating from each other, Hermione smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress with her hands as Draco cleared his throat.

His eye caught Theo tapping at his vacant wrist impatiently, making the blonde remember he had one more task to complete. Grabbing Hermione's hand, he rushed her towards the brunette Slytherin as the students in the Hall flooded the dance floor once again to 'Feed My Frankenstein'.

"You're cutting it pretty close, Draco!" Theo exclaimed before glancing at Hermione. "Is she coming too?"

"To where?" she asked, still holding the blonde wizards' hand in her own.

"We have to take care of something before this day ends" Draco replied quickly. "Can you meet me outside in…say twenty minutes?"

"Outside? Um, sure…I guess."

"Great…I promise I'll be back for you, Hermione. I'm not bailing on you, if that's what you're thinking."

"I wasn't. I'll see you outside in twenty minutes" she smiled.

"Okay…" he uttered as the two stared affectionately at each other.

Theo folded in his lip as he awkwardly watched the two people in front of him.

"You guys like each other and that's…fantastic…but uh, we sort of need to get going."

"Right, okay" Draco quickly leaned in and pecked Hermione on the cheek before rushing out of the Great Hall with Theo hot on his trail.

As the boys weaved their way down to the Dungeons, Draco took the opportunity to try and have a small heart to heart with his best friend.

"Hey Theo?" he began as the pair steadily trailed down the halls. "I know through my whole story, you basically wanted people to guess at your sexuality; you weren't intending to reveal it to anyone…"

"Did yo-did you just try to attempt a fourth wall break?"

Draco tilted his head in confusion as he raised a brow and stopped walking close to the entrance to the Dungeon.

"A what break?"

"Nothing…" Theo stated with a shocked face while looking above and around the corridor as Draco eyed him suspiciously. "Nothing at all…Anyway, you were saying?"

"What are you looking for?"

"No one!" he quickly replied drawing his focus back to the blonde wizard.

"No one?" Draco questioned while narrowing his brows.

"Nothing-I meant nothing…What were you saying?"

"Uhhh well…I was going to say that yesterday, or today but yesterday…anyway, I was stuck in my bed the whole time. Long story and I'll tell you more about it another time, but I wanted to let you know that I accept you…I've always accepted you."

"Accepted me? What are you talking about?" Theo asked as he flicked his eyes back and forth still looking for something but Draco had no idea as to what.

"Well you uh, you told me the true story about the urinals in third year."

"I WHAT?" the brunette Slytherin shouted in surprise as fear flitted over his face.

"Calm down, mate…I already knew" Draco shrugged as if it were no big deal. "You can't hide that sort of thing from me. You're my best friend…my brother, Theo; I will always love you regardless of who you may fancy. I will forever have your back."

"You-you're not mad or-or disgusted?"

"Why would I be? It doesn't affect me in anyway. It doesn't change who you are."

"My father was just released on bail over the summer! If he ever found out, he-he would kill me…literally. I just-I don't know, I assumed you would stop being my friend."

"First off, I will never stop being your friend. We have been through too much together for me to abandon you and if I did abandon you for something you can't control, then that's on me, and I would lose the best thing in my life."

"But Hermione is going to be the best thing in your life now…" Theo replied softly as he kicked the floor dejectedly.

"I love her, Theo, I do…But you have been there since the beginning. No one can replace you and your quirkiness. And second…If you think for one minute that I would let you go back to your father after school ends for good, you have lost your damn mind."

"I-I don't understand…" the brunette stated as he raised a brow.

"I purchased two Flats in downtown wizard London before school started back up. I can't have you sharing my bed anymore, especially now that…well you know…Hermione and all…hopefully. Anyway, you deserve to have a place all to yourself…do what you want with it…live how you want in it. It's right next door to mind so if you feel you really need me, I'll only be a few feet away."

"You-you di-didn't ha-"

"I wanted to" Draco interrupted as Theo's eyes began to water and his lips fought to smile. "Don't cry, mate…Use your words."

"Th-thank you" he muttered softly before pulling Draco into an unexpected hug; throwing the Slytherin Prince off guard.

"You're welcome" Draco responded with a smile as he hugged the brunette wizard in return. "Okay…that's enough" he chuckled while pulling away. "Wipe away those tears and fix your costume make-up while I go check around the corner, alright? I want to make sure those miscreants who released the Quidditch equipment, don't have a chance to get to the Slytherin Common Room."

"Alright…" Theo sniffed slightly as he wiped his cheeks with the back of his gloved hand.

Draco nodded his head before walking down the hall slightly and turned the corner. As he rounded the edge of the wall however, he suddenly heard laughter coming from where he left Theo and his heart dropped to his stomach.

Peeking around the bend, the blonde wizard saw the two boys he was looking for, picking on, well more like trying to pick on Theo as if he was a younger student. Draco knew Theo could handle himself a lot better than he used to, but he still hated to see people take advantage of his best friend.

"What the bloody hell are you supposed to be?" one of the boys asked callously.

"He looks like a clown if you ask me" the second one scoffed while crossing his arms.

"No one actually asked you," Theo retorted while fiddling with his wand down at his side "so why don't you piss off before I get you thrown into detention. I mean what are you, second years?"

'Ha! You got this, mate!'

"We're fourth years, you daft arse!" the first boy snarled. "Or is your make-up blinding you as well as making you stupid?"

'Eh, for a Slytherin you could do better than that…'

"No…" Theo began calmly "trying to figure out what's wrong with your face is what's making me lose brain cells at the moment…And you call yourselves Slytherins" he scoffed with a chuckle.

'OoO…good one! This is so much more entertaining than Weasley and Boot's embarrassing fight.'

"You think that was funny?" the boy continued angrily.

"I do actually…but what's even more funny, is the fact that you think I give a shite about what you have to say. You're roaming the corridors past curfew and your attempting, and failing I might add, to speak down to someone much older than you."

"Alright, Gramps" the second boy stated through clenched teeth "you wanna have a go!" he claimed while bringing out his wand, making Draco roll his eyes and step out of the shadows.

"Fighting?" Draco questioned while twirling his wand through his fingers and walking up to Theo's side. "In the school halls…against an eighth year tutored by none other than Hermione Granger herself? Are you absolutely sure you're not second years…or even firsts? Because only someone that dumb would attempt to attack a student more qualified in a duel, than themselves."

"Oh, shite, it's Malfoy!" the second boy yelped in fear.

"I can see that, you arse!" the first boy claimed cruelly.

"You can see and yet…you still have your wands out like you could best me…No matter, Theo and I were actually looking for the two of you." Both boys gulped in dread as Draco raised his wand and pointed it at them. "Now, I have a date waiting for me, so let's move this along-Winky!" he called out for the elf.

The house elf apparated into the corridor with a loud crack, startling the two younger students and making Theo snicker in amusement.

"What's can Winky dos for Mr. Draco?" she asked while glancing questioningly at the fourth years. "Is everything alrights here, sir?"

"Everything is fine, Winky, thank you for asking. I need you to take these boys to the Headmistress in the Great Hall, please. Tell her I found the students responsible for releasing the Quidditch Balls throughout the school. She'll understand how I know."

"Yes, sir! Right away, Mr. Draco!"

Winky took a hold of the boy's robes as the pair looked in confusion at each other, before popping out of the room.

"Well that was easy" Theo remarked cheerfully. "And you have a date so you might want to hurry…"

"Right! Okay…" Draco replied as he puffed out a quick breath and grinned "wish me luck!" he said as he began to rush down the hall. "Wait!" he stopped suddenly, turned around, and took off his jacket; leaving the top half of his body in just an old fashion white tunic. "Would you mind holding on to this for me? I think Potter has our hats and my holster" he finished while removing the faux sword from his belt and handing the items to Theo before rushing off again.

"GOOD LUCK!" Theo shouted after him, but Draco was long passed hearing him.

Exiting through the large front doors leading outside, Draco looked up at the night sky and happily sighed when he noticed the storm had past and it was no longer raining.

'Less chance of getting struck by fucking lightning'

Walking down the stairs towards the court yard, he spotted Hermione sitting on the boulder, the same rock he and Theo sat upon the day he was attacked by the Giant Squid, waiting for him as she looked out over the Black Lake.

"Hey…you came" Hermione exclaimed softly as she stood up after noticing Draco walking down the grass path.

"Of course, I came. I told you I wasn't bailing on you. I just had to take care of something" he replied with a shrug. "And now that the students responsible for releasing the Quidditch equipment in the school have been apprehended, I can now focus on something a little more important."

"More important than saving the day multiple times?" she chuckled softly.

"Definitely, more important…Accio Broom" he stated with his left arm stretched out to the side of him.

"Uh…Draco?" the blonde wizard smirked as his Firebolt flew through the air, over the castle, and landed flawlessly into his open hand. Leveling the broom out, he straddled the wood as it hovered just a few feet above the ground, and held out a hand to Hermione. "Oh, hell no!" Hermione exclaimed with a shocked expression. "I'm not getting on that thing!"

"I overheard you the other day tell Weasley that you refused to get on his broom because you didn't trust that he wouldn't drop you. You've seen me fly during multiple Quidditch games, Hermione, I won't drop you. All I'm asking is that you give it a chance…and trust me."

"I don't know…"

"Do you trust me?"

Hermione stared nervously into Draco's ocean grey eyes as she contemplated what he was asking of her.

"Yes…" she answered tentatively as she took his hand and side saddled the broom directly in from of him.

Draco smiled softly as he leaned forward, reached around the back of the Gryffindor with his right hand to grip the broom handle as Hermione quickly wrapped her arms around his torso in fear.

"I'm going to need you to wrap your arms around my neck…otherwise the balance will be off." Hermione did what she was told and once she was settled, Draco gently pushed off the grass, raising the broom about twelve feet off the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked as they hovered for a few seconds, giving her some time to adjust to the idea of riding the broom.

She nodded her head so he raised them a little higher, causing Hermione to yelp at the action and shut her eyes tightly. Flying above the tallest part of the castle, Draco steered the broom around the Gryffindor tower before steadying it to look for the area he desired. Adjusting his left arm around the girl paralyze in front of him, who now had her face buried into his neck, he began to fly towards the end of the Black Lake, furthest away from the school.

Hermione kept her eyes shut tight as they made the five-minute journey over the water. The Slytherin Prince glanced down at the terrified witch and tried to think of something to help distract her.

"I can show you the world…" he began to sing slightly off key. "Shining, shimmering splendid…" Hermione slowly pulled back and opened her eyes as she glanced up at Draco smiling down at her. "Tell me Princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?" The bookworm looked to the blonde with a raised brow while waiting for him to continue. "That's it" he chuckled. "That's all I remember from that movie Pansy forcefully made me watch" he concluded as he slowed the broom down and hovered a few feet above the water.

The brunette witch laughed as she rolled her eyes and looked around in awe.

"Draco, this…this is beautiful!" she exclaimed as she looked out over the water before looking up at the night sky.

"You're beautiful."

Hermione snapped her focus to Draco as he gazed at her adoringly. "I'm sorry for being such an arse to you and…and I'm sorry about what happened at the manor. If I-"

The bookworm quickly shushed the Slytherin while placing her fingers on his lips and looking deeply into his eyes.

"I forgive you…" she lightly shrugged. "I forgave you a long time ago. I really don't want to talk about it right now though…right now I would very much like for you to just kiss me…because…I love you too."

Smirking widely as he exhaled through his nose, Draco removed his left hand from around Hermione's waist and brought it up to her face. Cupping her cheek as his fingers slid through her hair, he slowly leaned in and gently brushed his lips against her soft petal-like skin. He heard her breath catch as they both closed their eye and readied themselves to jump over the edge…into euphoria.

But as soon as Draco was about to close the minuscule gap between them, the light breeze that wound around him, disappeared, and all he felt…was empty air. Opening his eyes, Draco's heart shattered into a million pieces as he looked hopelessly around his room. His lip began to quiver as a familiar knock resonated at his door and he refused to hold back the tears begging to fall from his eyes.

"Draco!" Theo bellowed from the other side of the wooded entryway "Draco, are you up yet? Pansy wants us all to walk down to breakfast together!"

Placing his forehead into his hands, the blonde Slytherin sobbed lightly as he tried to make sure no one heard his desperate pleas through his weeping.

"Draco?" Theo asked again as he knocked gently on the door this time. "Draco, open up…" Standing up, Draco sucked in a deep breath as he wiped his face and tried to think of where he messed up. Slowly opening the door, he saw Theo and his sullen face, as his friend looked at him dolefully. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Theo…I'm okay" he answered with a sniff and a strained voice, but he managed to produce a fake smile before looking down at his bare feet.

"Nothing?" Hermione asked as she stepped up to left of Theo from her room. "Because it seems like you're sullied when you should be celebrating."

Lifting his head in confusion, the blonde wizard narrowed his brows in disbelief.

"Celebrating? I have nothing to celebrate, Granger."

"We're back to Granger now?" Theo questioned with a tilt of his head. "I mean just yesterday you were all about confessing your love for Hermione…"

"Yes, but I missed some…thing…" Draco paused as his eyes widened in shock as both Hermione and Theo smiled broadly.

"Well apparently you missed not only our lazy day clothes but the time, which by the way, is…" Theo looked behind Draco at the nightstand before readjusting himself "09:15 am."

"I-I made it?" he replied as he looked down at the clothes the pair in front of him was wearing before turning around and rushed to the end table.

Picking up the clock, Draco read the time and looked at the date that now said Saturday, October 30th, 09:16 am.

"You made it!" Hermione proclaimed excitingly.

After catching his breath, Draco dashed across the length of his room and out into the hall. Looking over the balcony rail at the group of eighth years holding a banner that said 'Congratulations', Draco's heart skipped a beat in excitement. Quickly rotating on his heel, he looked at Hermione in confusion before throwing his head back in frustration.

"I don't understand…" he began as he lowered his face and shook his head. "If I did everything right yesterday, then why was I pulled away from you on my broom?"

"Pulled away?" she responded with a tilt of her head. "Draco, you kissed me last night before bringing me back to the Common Room. We laid next to each other all night before I awoke early to help make that sign with everyone. I figured you were tired after what happened, so I let you sleep in…Don't-don't you remember?"

"No…I-I only remember that I was about to kiss you, before everything disappeared, and I woke up to Theo knocking at my door."

"I'm sorry Theo pulled that prank on you. I told him it was in bad taste" she claimed while shooting Theo an 'I told you so' look. "As for everything disappearing…I don't really know. Maybe in order for the time-loop to correct itself, it had to pull you out of the day after you completed everything you were supposed to?"

"But I'm out? I'm really free of that curse?"

"Well, yes, but I mean if finding out that you loved me is a curse then-"

Draco quickly interrupted the brunette witch and pulled her close to him, causing her to yelp, and swiftly pressed his lips to hers.

"Uhhhh, Draco?" Theo questioned, but Draco simply lifted his right hand, cupped Theo's face in his palm, and pushed him out of the way, all without breaking the tender kiss he had longed for…for days.

Hermione pressed deeper into him as the crowd below clapped and cheered, however Draco Malfoy, tuned them out as he entwined his fingers through his Gryffindor's hair, and let the spark he begged for…ignite in his soul.


	13. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING- EXPLICIT CONTENT- FOR MATURE READERS ONLY

Chapter 13- Epilogue

Saturday August 5th, 2000 03:17pm

Standing in his old bedroom at the manor he once called home, Draco looked around the empty space in muggle jeans and a white button-down shirt, not really knowing how to feel. His mother, Narcissa Malfoy, had sold his childhood house to rid the nightmares that encased the halls after he had received his exam results stating he had graduated Hogwarts. With his father still in Azkaban, both Draco and his mother thought it best to let the past go and remove the walls that held them captive for too many years.

After Draco's repetitive day had ended, he became nicer to the people around him and chose to also pay more attention to his surroundings; which seemed to be his downfall during the time he had lived through the twenty-ninth of October…over and over again. He and Hermione had decided to give dating a try and he honestly had never felt happier in his life. He did have to admit however, the struggle they both went through, an ex-Death Eater courting one-third of the Golden Trio, was something that wasn't easy on either of them…more so for Hermione than for him.

His girlfriend unfortunately, was targeted for dating an old supporter of the Dark Lord, but she managed to hold her own and shoved the hateful comments to the side. She never wavered from loving him nor did she ever let anyone bring the Slytherin down. He was grateful to have her in his life; despite the way he had gained the knowledge of his affection for her.

After school had ended, the pair settled in different flats, but still relatively close to one another in wizard London, and tried their best to see each other at least twice a week. Hermione had received the job she'd dreamed about in the Ministry as the Minister of Magic's assistant, which kept her relatively busy, as Draco took over his family business with Theo as his right-hand man.

Harry went on to be top of his class in the Auror Academy as Ginny, for the time being, stayed at 12 Grimmauld Place and studied to become a Healer after James was born. Neville did his best to help the red-head with her studies as he was already going through classes to obtain a position at St. Mungo's, and her skills significantly grew.

Pansy and Blaise also moved in next door to the Gryffindor couple, unintentionally and completely by accident, however it did help form a bond between the four. Pansy swooned over James Potter as if she was a surrogate Aunt and volunteered to babysit whenever Harry and Ginny needed a break. After all, she was planning on being a stay-at-home housewife in the near future anyway after Blaise proposed to her right after the final exam of the year.

Blaise was perfectly content with Pansy not working as he was also rich, thanks to his mother and her twelve ex-husbands who all mysteriously seem to pass away at opportune times; not that he had the guts to ask his mother about the suspicious deaths and just accepted that they died from natural causes…

Ron was signed to the Chudley Cannons as their Keeper, after scouts had witnessed a perfect game back in March, and found himself a beautiful witch from Albania that actually wanted to be with him and not as a form of revenge…or for a chance to dip into his suddenly deep pockets. He moved on from Hermione and although he still loved her, he officially let her go. The red-head had also accepted Draco after a few months of mulling it over and realized the Slytherin wasn't so bad anymore. They weren't exactly friends per say, but they got on well enough during every group get together.

As for Lavender and Sadie, both girls were shunned by most of the elite witches and wizards. And since they were expelled from Hogwarts, they had found it hard to obtain a job around wizard London; more so for Lavender however, than for Sadie.

Although, Draco did fight for Sadie to be welcomed back at the school, his pleas unfortunately went unheard. He did however, pay a large sum of money to her and her family for the crimes of his father, and even though he felt it wasn't enough, the Cornwell's forgave him. They came to understand that he was not the one responsible for the death of Sadie's sister, Theresa, nor did he even know anything about the situation before Sadie's confession, but mainly they gave him absolution because he did his best to make amends for what his father had done.

Yet Terry Boot, was not expelled from Hogwarts. He was given three months detention for his part in Lavender's scheme, and would have been kicked out if it wasn't for Neville's testimony that Lavender had coerced the Ravenclaw to become the Binder for the Unbreakable Vow. It had helped as well, that Terry felt remorse for his actions and understood that what he had done was wrong. Unlike Lavender, who didn't seem to care who she hurt. He still was not welcome in their group but he managed on his own and became an assistant manager at Gringotts bank.

Bradley went on to open his own restaurant that was often frequented by the previous eighth-years once a week; which in turn gave his business unintentional advertising thanks to not only the Golden Trio frequently stopping by, but Draco and Hermione as well. The press publicized the restaurant as the 'Place to be', essentially dubbing it as the newest 'Hot Spot' in Diagon Alley. And to Draco's knowledge, the Hufflepuff had remained single after the whole ordeal with Sadie.

Furthermore, Draco stayed true to his word and lived next door to Theo to help him manage his fear of living alone. Surprisingly, the brunette Slytherin only slept in Draco's bed three times since he had moved out of his father's abusive household at the end of June, and once in Hermione's when Draco was stuck at work late.

Theo and Hermione had become fast friends ever since the Halloween Ball, and to be honest, it did make Draco feel a little left out. They went to lunch together almost every other day and Draco sort of felt like Theo saw more of his girlfriend than he did. But he knew Theo didn't want Hermione and the Gryffindor made absolute certain that Draco knew she only wanted him…and the snogging sessions, were enough to convince him of her loyalty.

Although, they'd been dating for almost a year, they decided to wait until they got to know each other better before sealing the deal and taking each other's virginities. Draco was a patient man, ever since the nightmare that had turned out to be his saving-grace occurred, and didn't pressure Hermione to try and sleep with him…even after all the hard-ons he'd obtained throughout the year…especially when she'd bite her lip; accidentally driving him crazy.

He of course always retaliated with winks that made the bookworm blush feverishly, but they still had yet to complete the deed. It became a blessing and a curse that he was terrified of not knowing what to do and he figured she felt just the same. They did however, become more comfortable around each other and Narcissa Malfoy had even come to accept the Gryffindor in both her and her son's lives.

This…is one of the reasons the Slytherin Queen chose to sell the manor where Hermione was tortured, and move in with her once disowned sister, Andromeda Tonks.

And after unity found its way into the hearts of many witches and wizards…they all lived happily ever after…

But that's not where the story ends…No…There's one more thing that happened to the eighth years after they graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

What? You didn't think I would leave you with just a summary…Did you?

XXX

Draco continued to stare around the empty room with his hands in his pockets and nostalgia filling his mind. He never thought he would see the day where he said good-bye to place he was raised in…the place that held both good and bad memories. But he was ready to move on, ready to grow as an adult into a new and inscrutable future…a future that hopefully contained a certain bookworm, as his wife.

Playing with the little black box in his left pocket, Draco sighed as he took one last look around the oversized bedroom.

"It was a blessing and a curse, this house…" Narcissa claimed softly as she leaned a shoulder against the open door frame. "Filled with so many fond memories and yet…sullied by so many dark secrets. I will miss it though" she stated as she removed herself from the frame and walked up to her son. Placing a gentle hand on his back, she smiled faintly before resting her head on his right shoulder. "But I think we will be better off without it. Change can be a wondrous thing."

"Mother, are you sure you'll be alright…leaving this place and living with Andromeda?" Draco asked as he glanced down as his mother.

"I'll be fine dear" she claimed while patting his arm with her right hand. "This manor is too big for one person…two even. And you have a lovely girl who needs your attention more. Besides, I get to live with my great-nephew, Teddy, who I never would have gotten the chance to have in my life if I continued to live the way that I did. I am truly saddened about Nymphadora and Remus, but they gave me a gift…and I don't intend on wasting it."

"As long as you're happy, Mother" he replied with a small smile while turning to hug her.

"Oh, stop it" Narcissa stated after the hug broke and she waved a hand in front of her while trying to hold back tears. Taking a deep breath, she beamed as she looked her son over. "I am so proud of you, Draco…truly. You have become an exceptional man…still a pain in my arse, but exceptional none the less."

Draco chuckled and shook his head as he brought his mother in for another hug before releasing her and cupping her cheek tenderly.

"I am who I am…because of you. I love you, Mother."

"I love you too, son. Now stop…please, I don't want to cry before I arrive at my sisters" she remarked while gently wiping at her cheeks to remove any stray tears. "Now, I will see you for dinner tomorrow, don't be late…and bring Hermione, dear. That poor girl seems like she could use a bit of decent cooking in her life."

"I'll bring her, don't worry" he stated as he cracked a grin.

"Are you meeting her later today?" his mother asked as she walked towards the open door.

"Yeah, I planned to take her out to Bradley's restaurant at seven."

"Well, go surprise her early!" Narcissa gleamed. "Everything is practically done here and anything left over, I'll have the house-elves take care of. You go…have fun on your date."

"Are you sure? I-I don't want to leave you with packing up the rest."

"Draco, darling, I'll be fine. There isn't much left. Go see your girlfriend-oh, and do take the box I left by the foyer floo. It has a few books I think she might enjoy and you have neglected to take it for a week now."

"Alright, I'll grab it on my way out" he claimed with an eye roll before stepping up to his mother and kissing her cheek quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow night…and I won't be late, I promise."

"Good" she replied before exiting the room.

The pair walked down the grand staircase leading to the main foyer and quickly hugged each other good-bye. Draco then picked up the large box waiting by the fireplace, as his mother walked off down the hall.

"Oh, and Draco…" she began as she turned around and held up a finger. "Good luck…Though I don't think you'll need it" she winked before smiling widely and continued to walk down the hall.

Shaking his head with another eye roll, Draco firmly held the box in front of him before apparating to Hermione's apartment.

"Mione, darling…I'm here. I got done helping my mother early so I figured I'd…stop…by-Theo? What the hell are you doing here?" Draco questioned as he lowered the box in his hand to floor.

"Draco!" Theo expressed in surprise as he quickly stood up while holding a pink candle in his hand. "You're-You're early? Why are you so early? You aren't supposed to be here for another two hours!"

Draco looked from Theo's shocked face, to the candle in his hand, and then to rose petals covering the floor and couches. A sudden unexplained rage began to fill his soul as a single thought formed in his mind.

"What the bloody fuck are you doing here?"

"Hold that thought!" Theo stated while holding up a finger. "Ginny!" he yelled before smiling with a wince at the blonde Slytherin who looked ready to murder him in cold blood. "Ginnnnny...GINNY!"

"WHAT?" the red head shouted back from inside the bedroom just down the hall.

"The eagle has landed early! I repeat, the eagle has landed early!"

"What?" she questioned in confusion. "Theo, we talked about this! No code words! I have no bloody idea what you're saying!"

"DRACO'S HERE!" he shouted in a panic as Draco clenched his fists together at his side.

"WHAT?" Ginny yelled as she poked her head out of the bedroom door.

"I said-"

"No, I heard you! Why is he here so early?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask him? Preferably before he kills me where I stand…please?"

"He's not going to kill you…" she sighed in annoyance "Is he?" her voice peaked in worry.

"Oh, I'm gonna fucking kill him, if someone doesn't tell me right now what the fuck is going on here!"

"Draco!" Ginny called out, still hidden behind the bedroom door. "Don't kill him, just…hold on!"

Draco raised a brow as he scrunched his face in a mixture of fury and bewilderment, while Theo slowly set the candle in his hand down on the table, and Ginny quickly ducked back into the bedroom before shutting the door.

"What the fuck is happening here? Where's Hermione?" he demanded to know in aggravation, but Theo just looked at him in fear while slowly backing up to put the coffee table between him and the angry former Slytherin.

"It-it's not what you think-"

"Stop talking, Theo. You're just going to make it seem worse than it is" Ginny stated as she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door swiftly behind her. "And you, Draco…Next time, go to your flat first and change or something before just appearing out of nowhere and almost ruining everything!"

"I beg your pardon?" he questioned defensively as he tilted his chin forward and reached for his wand from his back pocket.

"Try and hex one of us, Draco, and I will see to it that you sneeze bats for the next week. Now," she smiled as if nothing was wrong "Theo and I have dinner plans, so if you would be so kind as to just waltz into the bedroom in" she lifted her wrist and looked at her watch before lowering her hand to her side "let's say five minutes, that should be plenty of time, and talk to your girlfriend yourself. Come on Theo, we can stop for ice cream before we pick up Harry and Bradley. Don't want to be late on your first double date, now do we? And since Pansy and Blaise are babysitting, I am going to take full advantage of my first night out in a while."

"In a while?" Theo asked as Ginny began dragging him out of the living room towards the front door. "But you just had James like two months ago…"

"And you seem to forget how long I carried that adorable little runt in my uterus…Let's go!"

"Wait, Bradley? What the hell is going on?" Draco yelled in frustration.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Ginny asked in surprise as she stopped walking and looked at Draco in curiosity. "Theo and Bradley are trying out dating…with each other. Apparently, Bradley swings both ways as well" she smirked as she looked to Theo who looked absolutely mortified.

"First off, why the fuck didn't you tell me?" Draco questioned Theo angrily. "And second…why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

"You already asked that…" the brunette Slytherin claimed with a raised finger.

"We could have avoided me thinking you were trying to sleep with my girl!"

"Whoa!" Theo said in shock "I would never do that! Are you serious right now?"

"No! But that's kinda what it looked like, with candles all over and rose petals scattered throughout the place…I panicked!"

"Ooo-kay…Well" Ginny expressed as she pursed her lips together "as I said, Hermione is in the bedroom" she claimed while pushing Theo out of the room once more. "You have fun, floo us later, and we'll have a laugh about this whole thing tomorrow. Cheers!"

"But I-"

"Bye, Draco!" she waved over her head without turning around.

Draco watched in confusion as the pair walked to the door, with more questions than answers filling his mind. As soon as the entryway clicked closed, he turned back around, and looked at the room fully lit with a variety of scented candles as soft music he didn't hear before, played low in the background.

"What the hell just happened?" he said aloud to himself.

He took a minute to gather his thoughts before removing his shoes and walked down the hall towards Hermione's bedroom. Slowly opening the door, he took notice that the lights were out and the room was illuminated with the soft glow of candle light.

"Mione?" he questioned as he opened the door fully to see Hermione awkwardly lying on the bed in emerald green lingerie. "Uhhhh…whacha doing?" he asked confused while trying to contain the raging hard-on in his pants.

"Noth-nothing…Just…trying to be sexy…" Hermione replied while ineptly throwing an arm over her head as she tried to find a comfortable position.

"You look more like you're having a stroke…" he claimed with thinned lips and a raised brow, clearly knowing what she was doing but too scared to admit it aloud.

"Ugh! This is so not how I wanted to do this!" she stated in frustration as she sat up and crossed her arms. "Freaking Ginny-"

"Wait, Ginny is the one who told you to try to act like the Whomping Willow? I mean don't get me wrong, Love, you look delicious in all that green but uh…why are you even wearing that?" he inquired as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, clearly making her question his intelligence.

"So, we could…you know…make love" Hermione nervously replied.

"Now? I mean are-are you sure you're ready f-for that?"

'I am so not ready for this…am I?'

"Well, I mean, it's been almost a year and…and I-I think we're ready…I've read a number of books on the subject and-and Pansy and Ginny gave me some pointers…You're not ready! Oh God, this was such a stupid idea!" she exclaimed in a panic while hiding her face into her hands.

Draco quickly rushed up to the flustered witch and sat next to her on the plush queen-sized bed.

"Hey, hey, hey" he said trying to calm her while resting a hand on her knee. "It's not a stupid idea, I just…I didn't know if you were ready. I'm willing to give it a try if-if you really want to do this."

Hermione lifted her head from her hands and glanced at Draco as her lips parted slightly.

"I'm scared" she replied in a soft whisper. "But I…I want to. I just…I don't exactly know what I'm doing."

"Neither do I" he chuckled gently. "The books don't really tell you how to start it off."

"Well, Pansy said that we should start with kissing and after that, we should instinctively know where to go from there" she shrugged apprehensively.

Draco licked his lips after agreeing with his witch before leaning in to press a tender peck against her own. He withdrew slightly as he gazed into her eyes for a brief moment and butterflies fluttered aimlessly in his stomach. Pressing back into her, Draco captured her lips with his as he entangled his fingers through her hair. Deepening the kiss, Hermione slowly laid back, inviting the blonde to settle on top of her. They snogged like they would have any other day, but this time with more meaning…more love and care settled behind every move they made.

Hermione began to unbutton his white shirt with trembling fingers as their cadence kissing pulled them out of the world. Euphoria filled the wizards mind as his heart began to beat faster and his palms grew sweaty with nerves, but he continued to kiss Hermione as if she was the last drop of water he would ever have and he pretended to act like he knew what he was doing…when really, he felt out of his depth.

Removing his lips from hers, Draco left small tender pecks along the brunette's jaw before reaching her neck where he lingered momentarily as Hermione moaned softly. Tilting her head to give him better access, she untucked his shirt blindly and fumbled to undo the black belt on his jeans.

Draco lifted his lower body up to help her; never breaking away from the supple kisses against her skin. She released another soft moan when he found a sensitive spot near her collarbone, so he focused on that area, like Blaise had told him to do, while Hermione unclasped the button on his trousers.

The mere idea of finally joining together as one, had him harder than a rock when Hermione pulled him back to her and captured his lips in a rough kiss. He could barely contain the excitement he was feeling and quickly pulled away to lean back on his heel so he could catch his breath and remember to take his time. The pale wizard was breathing hard as his gaze traveled over his flushed witch. With her hair spread across the pillows as her breasts rose and fell quickly beneath the lace negligee, he knew she was just as turned on as he was. Gulping slightly, he shifted and began removing his button-down and white t-shirt…exposing the top half of his sculpted body for the first time.

Hermione sucked in a breath as she stared at his abs in awe, making Draco smirk with self-pride before he awkwardly removed his pants and tossed them to the floor. Her gaze roved over him with a mixture of longing and trepidation before reaching the apex of his thighs. Surprise filled her features as she stared at his erection…momentarily making him feel self-conscious.

Trembling on the soft bed, Hermione flicked her gaze back up to his with a slight fear resting in her perfect brown eyes as Draco looked down at himself.

"I uh…is this-is this okay?" he questioned anxiously, unsure if she was reconsidering taking things any further.

"Ye-yeah-I mean yes, I…I just didn't expect it to be so…big" she replied nervously.

'Big? She's thinks I'm big? Not that I'm complaining, but I don't want to hurt her. Merlin, what if I hurt her?'

"Are you okay? We-we can stop if you're uncomfortable with…my size."

"No" she quickly replied in a tender tone as she tried to reassure him and reached out to touch his thigh. "I'll be okay…I don't want to stop."

"Are you sure? Because if I'm too big…Blaise said that I-"

"Draco," Hermione smiled "please don't stop. I want to do this" she claimed as she sat up and began to undo her bra.

Slowly and shakily, Hermione pulled off the green fabric as Draco's breath caught, and tossed it to the side before nervously looking up at her lover. He sat in stunned silence as his eyes took in her perfectly round plump breasts…causing his dick to twitch in his boxers as he yearned to touch them.

"Draco?" she asked tentatively in an attempt to catch his attention.

"Yeah…?" he replied not really listening as he stared at the perfect picture she created on the bed before him. Quickly pulling himself out of the trance, he glanced to her eyes with parted lips. "You're beautiful" he whispered softly before his gaze flickered back to her peaked mounds.

Hermione smiled and flushed beneath his eyes before leaning back to lift her hips and remove the matching green knickers. Gulping at the action, Draco slowly placed his fingers at the top of his boxers and inhaled deeply as he pulled them down; releasing the boner trapped inside.

A tense smile spread over her lips before she reached for him, bringing him back down over her as she shook slightly beneath him. They kissed softly as they learned the feel of each other's bare skin. Draco tried his best to concentrate on the feel of her smooth skin and the taste of her lips, but he couldn't stop the fear niggling at his mind.

"What's wrong?" Hermione inquired with worry in her eyes when she felt his mind wasn't present.

"I-I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me? Draco, you haven't hurt me…"

"Blaise a-and Theo said that it hurts the first time for-for a girl and you said I'm big which means that it's probably going to hurt more for you" he answered dejectedly.

"Ginny and Pansy told me all about it and I read up on it as well. It only hurts for a moment, Draco. Just…go slow. I'll be fine. I'm stronger than I look" she smiled.

Lifting a hand, Hermione caressed the side of his face before planting a soft gentle kiss on his forehead. He melted into the touch of her skin against his, lost in the feeling of their bodies pressed against one another.

Draco could feel the heat against his hardened member, escaping from her delicate core, and he wanted nothing more than to press firmly into her. But he knew she was right and he had to go slow. He reminded himself that after the first time things would be easier, according to his friends, they'd grow used to the new movements and after a while he'd be able to properly fuck her into the sheets. They both just had to get through the awkward stage first.

"O-okay" he agreed before recapturing her lips with his.

As they snogged, his slightly shaking fingers slipped between them and lightly brushed against her most intimate spot. When she didn't stop him, he hesitantly pressed forward and trailed his fingertips over her pearl and down into her moist heat. She mewled as he slipped one finger inside and after a few minutes he added a second…just as Blaise had instructed him to…until she was nice and lubricated.

Feeling her hips grind against his fingers, he felt that she was more than ready and extracted his hand to her hip as he nibbled her bottom lip…reveling in the feel of the supple skin beneath him. As they broke apart, they rested their foreheads against one another and took only a few calming breaths. Swallowing hard as he looked deep into her dark brown eyes, Draco reached down and aligned himself with her entrance.

"Are you ready?" he asked tenderly, hoping his nerves weren't as palpable as hers.

She nodded her head as she was unable to speak and wrapped her legs around his hips. Draco closed his eyes and exhaled a nervous breath as he gently proceeded to press himself into her. As he slowly stretched her slick core, he felt her dig her nails into his shoulders and heard her whimper beneath him.

He felt pure euphoria as her tight channel began to engulf him, grasping the tip of his cock like a vice and nearly making him burst in the heat of the moment. Her warm entrance molder around him like a glove but the sharp sting of her nails pulled him from his own bliss and reminded him to focus on his partner and how she felt.

"Are you okay?" he inquired with worry as he stilled his position, remembering what Blaise had told him about letting her adjust to him before advancing.

"I…" she winced "I'm okay, just…just push it all the way in; one quick motion. Rip off the band aid, and just…" she inhaled deeply "just do it."

"Love, I…are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes" she answered as she her body tensed up at the mounting pressure. "Please Draco, just push in."

Draco did as he was told and plunged sharply, burying himself deep inside her. She cried out at the sudden pain and he instantly felt horrible as he listened to her small sobs. Hoping to ease her pain, he held perfectly still as he wiped away her tears with his thumb. However, no matter how hard he tried to focus on her, his cock had other ideas as it twitched from the paradise she provided, causing her to whimper at the motion.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry. It's okay, darling" he said wistfully into her ear as he caressed her cheek and kissed her neck, in effort to distract her. "I love you, darling. I'm so sorry."

Hermione's sobs slowly dissipated as her grip on his shoulders softened, but Draco still regretted hurting her in any way and he continued to whisper gently that he loved her.

She turned her head to him and brought his face to hers as a small tear slid down to his jaw.

"I'm okay, Draco" she claimed while removing the fallen tear with a kiss. "I love you too…I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Can you please stop asking me that…I'm sure…and I would very much like it if you could continue" she grinned as she bit her bottom lip making Draco's staff jerk at the action as he released a low alluring growl in arousal.

Capturing her lips once more, he slowly pulled out half-way before gently pushing back into her. They both moaned in pleasure as Draco found a steady beat and continued to thrust into his witch. Breaking away from her lips, Draco stared into Hermione's brown eyes as they made love for the first time. In that moment, all he could think about was her and how much he adored the girl beneath him and how much he couldn't wait to call her his…forever.

As his thrusts quickened, so did Hermione's moans, which sent him into a sweet and blissful heaven as she pulsed around him. He cupped her left breast as he kissed her neck and tried not to cum first. As he lingered on the sweet spot of her collarbone the witch's nails suddenly dug into his back as she pulled his naked body flushed against her own and yelled out his name with a loud exhilarating moan.

The delightful sounds releasing from her throat forced the blonde over the edge and he quickly spilled into her with a deep seductive growl. The couple panted hard as they tried to catch their breaths before Draco slowly pulled out and rolled to the right side of his witch.

"I…love…you" Hermione declared with a staggering breath and a small giggle while pulling the sheet over her body and turning her head to face her boyfriend.

"I…love…you…more" he answered with a broad smile before he turned and was suddenly met by her waiting lips.

"Let's do it again" she requested through a grin when he broke away.

"Let's get married" he blurted out, making her eyes go wide in shock. "I know it's sudden" he stated as he turned his head to gaze at the ceiling anxiously "and I was going to wait to ask you tonight at dinner, but…that was amazing-you're amazing and I…I want to spend the rest of my life feeling like this, every day, with you" he turned back to her. "Marry me, Hermione."

Hermione propped herself up on her elbow as her mouth fell slightly open and her eyes widened further in shock.

"I-I uh…I…" she stuttered, unable to find the words she needed as she realized he was serious. As she stared into his eyes she watched as rejection and embarrassment crept in. "Draco, I-"

"It's a stupid idea, y-you're right. I-I shouldn't have said anything. I'm-"

Before he could utter another syllable, Hermione pressed her finger to his lips to quiet him. His brow furrowed in confusion as a smile spread over her lips.

"Yes…" she replied fondly.

"Yes?" he asked sitting up on his elbows, uncertain if he'd heard her right. The simple idea of having her agree to be his wife had his heart rate accelerating to the point he thought it'd beat right out of his chest.

"Yes!" she repeated with a Cheshire cat smile, before biting her lip, and attacking her fiancé's lips with feverish kisses.

"I have…a…ring" he exclaimed between the breaths she allowed him, knowing she didn't really care about the large diamond nestled in his jean pocket.

"You can give it to me later" she asserted happily as she climbed on top of him and kissed him deeply, making the former Slytherin Prince…the happiest man alive…

The End…..


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